Online Banking Safety and
Internet Safety Tips
How to prevent online banking fraud
Fraudsters using crimeware like ZeuS, SpyEye, Sunspot, and Oddjob are attacking bank customers on their computers and in their Web browsers. Providing safe and secure access to online banking prevents criminals from taking over accounts and committing ACH and wire fraud.
Online Banking Safety
Use Multiple Levels of Authentication and Security Measures
- Login ID and password together with your image and phrase. If you do not recognize your login image and phrase, do NOT enter your password.
- Use your RSA Token for all ACH or wire transfers completed through online banking.
- Periodically perform a risk assessment and evaluation of your internal controls. Including the computers that are used to access your online banking account, that conduct ACH or wire transfers; and also conduct a review your internal controls for employees who use that equipment.
- Use Trusteer Rapport on every computer in your home or office to help prevent malware and fraudulent websites from stealing your user credentials.
- Alerts you can set up to help protect your online banking activity. After logging into your account, click "Administration" tabe at the top of the page, then click on "Alert" under the "Manage Communications" section. There are three sections containing alerts you can set up. Click here to review all available alerts and how they can protect your accounts while banking online. At a minimum you should enable the "Session Activity Email" alert to send an email after you've signed off, which will outline what activity was performed.
- Monitor your mail. If you are still receiving paper statements, make sure you receive them and consider switching to eStatements to help stop a common practice called "dumpster diving."
- Check your statements and transaction history often to ensure the accuracy of your accounts.
- Use different passwords for all of your online accounts. If you use the same password everywhere and that password is ever stolen you could lose access to all of your accounts at once.
- Choose a password only you would know. Don't pick a word from the dictionary. Try to use a combination of at least eight letters, numbers, and symbols.
- If you think your computer(s) may be infected with malware or some other form of virus, you should not conduct any online banking business until your computer(s) has been thoroughly checked by a security specialist.
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Logging in to Online Banking
If you mistype your password or make a login error three times the system will lock you out. This feature is a security item that helps protect the system, Rockland Trust, and your data. If this happens to you, please contact a customer service representative.
Warning: If you do not recognize your login image and phrase, do NOT enter your password.
What you can do to protect your information
Internet Safety Tips
How to protect your computer(s)
- Get up-to-date security software on computer(s) that includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and a firewall.
- Set your operating system (ex: Windows) to update automatically.
- Add security questions to all of your online accounts. This will come in handy if you ever lose access and need to prove who you are.
- Be careful when accessing or sending information over an unsecured public wireless network. Don't send sensitive information if you can't verify that a Wi-Fi network is secure, or turn on HTTPS from the Account Settings menu.
- Be suspicious of emails or messages with misspellings or bad grammar, especially if they're from someone who is usually a good writer.
- Make sure you have an up-to-date web browser (ex: Internet Explorer) armed with an antiphishing blacklist.
- Keep your software licenses current.
- Only open email and attachments from known senders.
- If you receive an attachment from someone you do not know or are not expecting, do not open it, delete it.
- Read software agreements to understand exactly what applications are being installed on your computer.
- Only download items from the Internet from trusted sources.
Firewall Protection
- If you don't have a firewall, install one. Use a firewall in conjunction with Antivirus and Anti-Spyware software.
- Always check your system to verify your firewall is turned on.
Software
Updates
- Check your computer's automatic update settings to ensure you're receiving updates.
- Check your software programs for updates that may be available in the "Help" menu or on the software vendor's website.
- Pay attention to pop-up messages within a program; these may be notices of available software updates.
Email
Safety
- Be suspicious of emails asking for personal information.
- Never include sensitive information in email.
- Be selective when providing your email address.
- Do not open SPAM or attachments from strangers.
The use of multiple levels of authentication protects the privacy and the security of your personal information. This security feature uses a unique image together with a unique phrase to help certify that you are entering the bank's website, and not a fraudulent look-a-like site. Additionally, this security feature provides you with added safety by helping us to identify you and prevent unauthorized access to your accounts.
When you visit your branch office, you can identify us and we can identify you. Your unique image and phrase enables you to identify us over the Internet. When you enroll in multi-factor authentication, you select both an image and a phrase known only to you. Whenever you log-in, the image and phrase are displayed so you can be sure that you are accessing our real website, and not an impostor site.
We can identify you by checking any computer that you are using to access our website. Typically, you access our website from one or two computers, such as your work and home machines. Either way, our website will remember your computer, preventing potential fraudsters from logging in to your account even if they acquire or guess your login ID and password. Should you need to login from a different computer, such as from an Internet Café, additional steps are taken to verify your identity through a series of challenge questions that you set up during enrollment.
Above all, this security feature provides a significant increase in the security of your online banking over standard login ID and password authentication.
How we protect your information
We use firewall systems and intrusion detection software to prohibit unauthorized access to our systems.
- We protect the confidentiality of your data by encrypting sensitive information with 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL). This helps ensure that sensitive information can only be viewed by you and Rockland Trust.
- We build information security right into our systems and networks using internationally recognized security standards, regulations, and industry-based best practices.
- We employ strong authentication controls following guidance provided to us by the Federal Government's banking regulators.
- We require our employees to take information security awareness training and to apply this training to their job every day.
Links
for more information
Reference for up-to-date bank related information security.
FDIC Safe Internet Banking for individuals.
OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the Federal Government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, how to secure your computer, protect your personal information, and how to talk to your children on the subject of Internet security and safety.
Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).