Security Tips to Keep You Safe

We know how important security is to our membership. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of security tips to help keep you safe when it comes to online banking, mobile banking and wireless internet.

General Tips

Keep Track of Your Mobile Device – Perhaps the biggest risk is also the reason why mobile banking is so popular – mobile devices are easy to carry around with us everywhere we go. They can contain everything from password to contact lists to our calendar appointments. Information like that can be dangerous if your mobile device falls into the wrong hands.

Be Careful of What You Download – While there aren’t as many examples of malware out in the mobile device market as there are on traditional PCs, the fact remains that mobile devices are just specialized computers. That means it’s possible for someone to design an app that could try to access your information. One way this could happen is if the app hides a keylogger. A keylogger is a program that records – or logs – keystrokes. Every letter or number you enter could be recorded. If a hacker pairs a keylogger with some code that either sends off an email or text message at certain times of the day, you might be sending all your keystrokes to someone that could be located anywhere on the globe.

Use Official Credit Union App When Possible – The credit union goes to great lengths to ensure any information sent across a network by our app is encrypted.

Avoid Banking While on Public Networks – Many mobile devices allow you to connect to different types of networks, including Wi-Fi networks. You might be tempted to check your balance or make some transfers while you grab a quick drink at the coffee shop. But before you log into your account, make sure you’re not connected to the public network. Public connections are not very secure – most places that offer a public Wi-Fi hotspot warn users not to share sensitive information over the network. If you need to access your account information, you may want to switch to another network. If you’re using a smartphone or other cellular device, disabling the Wi-Fi and switching to the cellular network is a good solution.

Don’t Follow Links – You may have heard of the term phishing before. Phishing refers to the practice of tricking someone into revealing private information.  You should never follow a banking link sent to you in a text message or e-mail. These links could potentially lead you to a fraudulent/spoofed website. If you enter your information into such a site, you’ve just handed your data over to thieves. It’s always a good idea to navigate to a website directly.

Internet Security Tips

  • Do not use your full or partial Social Security number as a Personal Identification Number(PIN), user ID or password.

  • Make sure that your password is 8 or more characters with the combination of letters, numerals and symbols. Do not use the same user ID and password for your financial accounts as you do for other websites.

  • Use the screen lock feature for your mobile devices.

  • Do not use your mobile device to store sensitive personal information or banking account numbers. The Widget Financial application allows you to access your accounts and related details without exposing your account numbers.

  • Never respond to urgent emails claiming to be from a bank, credit union or any company that requests your account information or personal details. Please forward these emails to abuse@widgetfinancial.com

  • Limit the amount of personal information you provide on social networks. The more information you post, the easier it may be for hackers to use that information to steal your identity, access your data or commit other crimes.

  • Be cautious about messages you receive on social networking sites that contain links. Even links that look like they come from friends can sometimes be harmful or fraudulent – attempting to gain control of your computer or steal your personal information. If you are suspicious, don’t click the link. Contact your friend or the business directly to verify the validity of the link.

  • Keep your computer operating system and browser up-to-date with the latest software and security downloads. These might be called “patches” or “service packs” and should be installed as soon as possible.

  • Don’t open attachments or install free software from unknown sources; this may expose your computer and the information on it to unauthorized sources.

  • Make sure you have Antivirus/Anti-spyware software installed and that it is up-to-date. These software packages help detect and remove viruses and spyware, which can steal vital information.

Mobile Accounts Security Tips

Lock your devices – Set your phone or tablet to auto lock when not in use, and use a unique password to unlock it.

Minimize stored information – Do not store login information on your mobile phone. Regularly delete text messages and old calendar entries, clear browser history, and delete files.

Do not send sensitive information via text – Contrary to popular belief, text message are not secure and may be intercepted. This is why Widget Financial will never send your name or account number via text message.

Confirm the source of requests for your information – when a caller or text sender asks sensitive questions or directs you to take specific action such as dialing a number or visiting a website, confirm their identity before processing.

Disable Bluetooth when not in use – Disconnecting Bluetooth, a non-secure connection, helps prevents hackers from obtaining or sending malicious code into your device.

Steps to Stronger Wireless Security

When you set up your networks, or at your earliest convenience, review your wireless user manual to make sure you know how it works.

  1. Create a unique Service Set Identifier (SSID)  – essentially the “address” that identifies your wireless connection. Hackers know the most commonly used SSID’s, so changing it from the default version will help thwart their efforts.
  2. Change the wireless password regularly, using strong combination of letters and number to deter system hacking.
  3. Disable the Broadcast option – from your SSID features options. SSID Broadcast help cyber-crooks find your wireless connection and gain unauthorized access to the network
  4. Enable the encryption feature – so that only your intended recipients can access the information you send.
  5. Disable File and Print Share features – to limit information criminals’ ability to steal data or commandeer resources should they bypass encryption.
  6. Secure your wireless access point – to reduce the opportunity for others to access your network.
  7. Macintosh computer users can enable filtering to prevent or permit specific PCs to access your wireless network.

These suggestions should reduce the likelihood of security breaches but do not guarantee total wireless security. Guard your information carefully and know what to do in the event that your wireless network is hacked.

The information and recommendations contained here have been compiled from sources believed to be reliable and represent the best current opinion on the subject. No warranty, express or implied by Widget Financial, is made general information only; particular situations may request additional actions.
This document is designed to provide general information only and is not comprehensive nor is it legal advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Widget Financial does not make any warranties regarding the results obtained from the use of this information.