|
Welcome to Security State Bank
|
Fraud Prevention
At Security State Bank, the security of your accounts and personal information is our top priority. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers about fraudulent emails, pop-up advertisements, and phony web sites that attempt to trick people into providing confidential personal information.
Learn ways to protect your personal information from identity theft from the topics below:
Protecting Your Password
For your protection, we recommend that you do not share your online banking password, or give out your password by email or phone. "Phishing" is a term for hoax emails that look like they are coming from a trusted institution, like your bank, to try to get you to send sensitive information such as a password. Security State Bank will NEVER ask for your online banking password via email, phone, or pop-up window even if there is a need to re-set your account.
Tips for keeping your password unique and safe:
- Length- Ideally your password should range from 8 to 14 characters; the longer the better. The maximum length for Personal Online Banking passwords is 17 characters. You can create a phrase for a password by using the space bar and combining words; it is often easier to remember.
- Combine letters and numbers- Increasing the variety of characters in your password or password phrase makes it harder to guess. If you choose to only have 1 letter or number in your alpha numeric combination, as explained above, a longer password is recommended.
- Avoid using look-alike substitutions of numbers or symbols- For example, don't use a zero to replace an "o" or a 1 to replace an "I". This is a common password design that malicious users are aware of.
- Avoid using sequences- Don't use a well known sequence such as "1234", "abcd", or letters next to each other on the keyboard like "asdf". Also, don't repeat parts of your password like "cat12cat".
- Writing down your password- if you choose to write your password down, make sure it is adequately protected in order to remain secure and effective. The best practice is not to write it down.
- Do not allow your browser to automatically save your password.
- Do not leave your computer unattended while you are logged into online banking.
- Change your password regularly.
Check the strength of your password by using Microsoft's Password Checker. It is a non recording feature that determines the strength of your password as you type.
Online Banking Security Tips:
The login field for Security State Bank's personal and business online banking customers are on our home page. Although you will not see a "lock" key on your browser frame or an "https" address as you would on some websites, please be assured that your login information is secure. Once your Access ID is entered and the "sign in" button clicked, your login information is transmitted via a secure connection into our online banking server.
To help safeguard your personal and financial data, we will automatically, "End" your session whenever a security risk may be present. Here are some actions that may be deemed a security risk:
- clicking a link twice
- clicking the browser's back, forward or refresh button
Each of these actions may cause your session to terminate. To re-establish your session, simply return to the
login page.
Online Shopping Tips:
The threat of identity theft and account fraud increases when shopping online. It is important to make sure your computer and personal information is protected against harmful computer viruses and people trying to steal your identity.
Below are some security tips to help protect your identity and account information:
- When shopping online only use Internet merchants you know and trust. If in doubt, check with the Better Business Bureau.
- Use secure websites for transactions and make sure internet purchases are secured to protect your account information.
- Never share any personal information through email or over the phone unless you have initiated the contact.
- Avoid passwords that are easy to guess. Learn more about creating unique and secure
passwords below.
- Keep your debit card in a safe place and guard your Personal Identification Numbers (PIN)s.
- If your debit card is lost or stolen, or if you suspect unauthorized transactions, contact Security State Bank immediately or call Shazam at 1.800.383.8000.
- Review account statements carefully. Regular account review helps to quickly detect and stop
fraudulent activity.
- Keep your anti-virus protection software up to date with the most current versions and scan your
computer frequently.
- Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources.
- Protect your online passwords and security questions.
It is also very important to make sure your computer has software in place to safeguard against the increased threat of viruses.
- Visit Symantec's site to learn more information about defending you computer from computer viruses.
- Visit Adobe's site for all the latest Adobe patches. This is especially important if you use Adobe Reader products to view PDF files as it helps protect against vulnerabilities associated with the tool.
|
