Best Practices - Online and PC Security Tips

We at NJM Bank want to provide some recommendations to help prevent some of the common fraudulent activities that occur on the Internet including phishing, pharming and other scams that can lead to identity theft.

Antivirus

• Install and/or update antivirus software.
• Update antivirus signatures on a regular basis. Running updates once a day is recommended since new viruses and exploits are released daily.
• Run a virus scan of all of your files on a weekly basis. Most antivirus software vendors use a scanning engine that actively scans files that are being used by you or your operating system. Running a weekly "Full Scan," will help catch any malicious software that may not be actively in use.

Phishing

“Phishing” is the crime of trying to acquire personal information such as Social Security numbers, account information, credit or debit card numbers, and user names and passwords by fraudulent means. The bad guys frequently use emails or instant messages posing as someone else asking you to verify your personal information or credentials. However, legitimate service providers will never ask for information in this way. To protect yourself from becoming the victim of this form of ID Theft never answer these messages.

Tips to avoid being hooked on a Phishing scam, don't:

• Reply to email or pop-up messages asking you for personal or banking information.
• Email personal or banking information.
• Click on emails or messages you don’t expect or need.

Personal Firewall

• Install and/or update antivirus software.
• Update antivirus signatures on a regular basis. Running updates once a day is recommended since new viruses and exploits are released daily.

Anti-Spyware

• Install and/or update anti-spyware software. Anti-spyware software also helps keep unwanted software off of your PC and can also detect software that may have been installed without your knowledge.
• Update anti-spyware signatures on a regular basis.
• Run a spyware scan of all of your files on a weekly basis. Most anti-spyware vendors use a scanning engine that actively scans files that are being used by you or your operating system and prevents certain unwanted modifications from occurring. Running a weekly "Full Scan," will help catch any malicious software that may not be actively in use.

Patch Management

• Keeping your operating system and browser up to date is one of the easiest methods of keeping your computer safe on the internet.
• Periodically check your operating system's vendor for updates. Since the majority of home PC's run a version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, we have included the link for Microsoft's Windows Update here.

Browsing and Computing Habits

• If you are on a site that asks for personal information (social security number, account number, credit card number, etc.) check for the following on the web page:
  • Make sure the web address starts with https://
  • Look for a closed lock either by the address or down in the bottom frame of your browser. If that lock is missing, the page is not encrypted and your information can be seen as it passes across the internet.
  • Internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc., use a color coding in the address bar to let you know if the page is properly secured. Web pages use certificates to encrypt your data. Most use red as a page with a bad certificate and green to let you know that the certificate is valid. An address bar that is white in a browser that supports the color coding does not have a certificate. NJM Bank uses this high level of encryption, so your address bar should always be green when visiting us.   

               njmbankonline.com should appear as shown below in your browser:

• Another good habit is to type the address of the page you are browsing in the address bar instead of following a link. Links can be spoofed to look valid but may take you to another site without your knowledge. Favorites can also be hijacked and altered to take you to the site that you did not intend to visit.
• Never write down usernames and passwords. If you do, make sure that they can be secured in a locked drawer. The most common place that passwords are found is on monitors, under keyboards and mouse pads, and in desk drawers.
• Make sure that your password is something that is easily remembered by you alone. Using combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and "special characters" is recommended. Special characters are symbols like @, %, $, and !. Changing your password will also make it harder for hackers or other people to guess your password.
• Never send personal or sensitive information by email.
• Don't click links or open attachments in suspicious emails.
• If you bank online in public, make sure no one is able to see over your shoulder, better yet, select to hide your typing.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission's OnGuard Online website for more good online habits.  Please also visit helpful information from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding Phishing at www.occ.gov.  Recently the FBI released this cyber alert for parents and children regarding posting images and 'geotagging'.  Please click here for more information.