A Cybersecurity Checklist
As consumers have become increasingly reliant on the internet for everything from shopping and communicating to banking and bill paying.
ere is a checklist with reminders about simple things bank customers can do to help protect themselves from online criminals:
Have computer security programs running and regularly updated to look for the latest threats
- Install anti-virus software to protect against malware that can steal information such as account numbers and passwords.
- Have a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your computer.
- Be smart about where and how you connect to the internet for banking or other communications involving sensitive personal information.
Ignore unsolicited emails asking you to open an attachment or click on a link if you don’t know who sent it or why
- Either ignore unsolicited requests to open attachments or files
- Verify the supposed source that sent the email by making contact using a separately published email address or telephone number.
Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly online and asks for your personal information
- Ignore unsolicited requests for information, no matter how legitimate they appear, especially if they ask for information such as a Social Security number, bank account numbers and passwords.
Use the most secure process you can when logging into financial accounts
- Create “strong” passwords that could be easy for you to remember and difficult for others to guess.
- Change passwords regularly, and try not to use the same passwords or PINs for several accounts.
Be discreet when using social networking sites
- Criminals comb those sites looking for information such as someone’s place of birth, mother’s maiden name or a pet’s name, in case those details can help them guess or reset passwords for online accounts or figure out answers to security questions that some sites use.
Be careful when using smartphones and tablets
- Don’t leave your mobile device unattended and use a device password or other method to control access if it’s stolen or lost.
From FDC 2018 summer newsletter, 25 Years of Tips You Can Bank On.