At Bank Midwest your privacy is always on the forefront of our thoughts. That’s why we take security so seriously. To help you with maintaining your data, we are arming you with quick tips for online and in your home. Incorporate these tips into your day-to-day routine and start protecting yourself.
Quick tips for your online presence:
- Get an invitation or tagged to complete an online quiz? Be suspicious and cautious. “What was your first boyfriend’s name” or “Take your favorite candy and add your high school mascot for your new candy crush name” are eerily close to typical security questions for resetting your passwords to Bank websites.
- Get a call from your Bank asking you to confirm everything under the sun? Be suspicious and cautious. Even if the caller ID states it’s from your Bank, be aware fraudsters can spoof those numbers. Hang up and call the number you have on file (e.g. on the back of the credit card or on your statement) or the Banking Center.
Quick tips for your home:
- Passwords! Use passwords, passphrases, and passcodes. Having a password for your home network is a given, but also ensure you use a password for your mobile devices. Change your passwords periodically (e.g. every 90-days). Do not use similar passwords between your online social media accounts, your personal email accounts, and your financial data. Otherwise, if and when less secure systems are compromised, it’ll be that much easier to compromise your other data.
- Encrypt your mobile devices. Most devices have native encryption software already built-in; however, the user needs to enable it.
- If you receive a pop up stating your computer has a virus or malware – do not click any links on it including the “OK” or “X” button to close it, and do not call the number listed in the warning. Instead, close the browser window. Consider even shutting down your workstation and restarting a few minutes later.
- Periodically unplug and reboot your router and networked devices. Some malware can watch and compromise the traffic moving through your router or just make it unusable. Unplugging will help disrupt the malware and potentially erase part of it.
- If you get a call from a number you don’t recognize, especially if it looks very similar to yours, do not engage. Hang up the call or do not answer. Do not call back or follow the prompts to speak with the representative.
If you ever suspect you may be compromised, change any compromised passwords; account numbers; or security questions. And if you’re concerned about identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov to learn how you can protect yourself.