Keep Your Accounts Safe

The security of your identity and your accounts is of the utmost importance. Fortunately, there are things you can do through online and mobile banking to keep your accounts safe.

Paper Versus Paperless

Paper documents may contain sensitive information. Hard copies of banking records can include bank account numbers and financial data, which may then fall into the wrong hands. With the proper procedures, your information is safer online, especially since your bank provides top-notch online security.

For the safety of your accounts, you may want to choose paperless alternatives. Consider these online options:

• e-Statements
• Electronic notifications
• Online Bill Pay
• Online applications for new accounts, credit cards, and loans

Safe Electronic Banking

Once you've chosen paperless options, you should also do your part to protect your online accounts. While banks take measures to protect consumers, consumers themselves sometimes compromise their security. Here are some tips for keeping your online accounts safe:

• Bookmark Online and Mobile Banking to make sure that you always access the correct website. Entering a web address incorrectly can take you to a website that's fraudulent but designed to look like the real thing.
• Never share your password. A person that seems trustworthy today could be a thief tomorrow. No matter the circumstances, never share the password to your online accounts.
• Choose strong passwords. Never choose a password that is easy to guess or to find online (like a spouse's name). Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, which is more difficult to crack. Then change your password regularly.
• Avoid accessing Online Banking from wireless hotspots. Information sent between your computer and a bank's website is encrypted, but public networks have a greater risk of keylogging, or a hacker picking up your keystrokes. For that reason, it's best not to access Online Banking from a wireless network that doesn't require a password.
• Keep your anti-virus, firewall, and operating system up to date. Updates often fix known security issues, so employing them decreases the risk of computer hacks that compromise your Online Banking accounts as well as other information.

Between the efforts of you and your bank, you can keep your accounts safe. For more information on this important topic, check out our Security Center.