a Cornerstone of
every Community
that we Serve
Secure Internet Banking
From Your Community Bank
ONLINE ID
Customer Security Information
Drummond Community Bank would like to share with our customers the following information and tools relating to internet and data security. This is simply a basis for maintaining your computers in a safe fashion. Lets start with some basic information and descriptions.
Phishing: "fishing" is a new type of internet piracy. Thats exactly what these thieves are doing: fishing for your personal financial information. What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit card.
In a typical case, you'll receive an email that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. The email will probably warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. It may use phrases, such as Immediate attention required, or Please contact us immediately about your account. The email will then encourage you to click on a button to go the institutions Website.
In a phishing scam, you would be redirected to a phony website that may look exactly like the real thing. This is where you are asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security number, your account number, your password, or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking to a real financial institution, such as your mothers maiden name or your place of birth.
If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft.
How to Protect Yourself:
- Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request.
- If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the institution yourself.
- Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request.
- Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct.
Pharming: "farming" is a hackers attack aiming to redirect a websites traffic to another, bogus website. Pharming has become a major concern for businesses hosting ecommerce and online banking websites. Sophisticated measures known as anti-pharming are required to protect against this serious threat. Pharming is the reason Drummond Community Bank requires several different levels of authentication prior to accessing our online banking system. Though it can feel like a chore, we would never want anyone else accessing your data.
Identity Theft: the goal of many malware schemes, Identity Theft is a term used to refer to fraud that involves someone pretending to be someone else in order to steal money or get other benefits. The person whose identity is used can suffer various consequences when he or she is held responsible for the perpetrators actions.
Spyware: software that spies on the activities on your computer then sends that information back to its creator. Some spyware just wants to know your internet habits for marketing research; other spyware steals your personal information such as credit card and bank information. Without your consent, none should be allowed to happen. Spyware typically ends up on your computer either from being attached to a program you download, or from visiting a website that loads it o your computer while youre on the site. Frequent install points are Adult websites, Gambling websites, as well as free-ringtone, free-coupon, and free-music sites. However, not all of these sites will load spyware, nor are these the only sites that get infected. Confusing isnt it?
Virus: a program (believe it or not) that makes the computer harm itself. A virus works by giving the computer instructions that will cause damage, file transfers, password theft or even network your computer across the web. Several years ago, before the advent to spyware, we were always on the watch for viruses. Viruses would arrive when you downloaded something from the internet, or frequently, as an email attachment. Viruses were created more to damage computers than anything else, whereas spyware just wants to run in the background.
Spam: Unwanted and unsolicited email, typically trying to sell something. If you have an email address, almost assuredly you have received spam at some point. A current research indicates that approximately 90% of all email is actually spam. The most important thing to remember about spam is to never respond, either by purchasing something from a spam message, or by replying, telling them to stop sending. Neither will eliminate the problem. One of the most valuable assets to a spammer is your email address. Replying just verifies your address for them.
Further Resources:
| Information and Downloads | |
| Identity Theft | http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft |
| General | http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/ |
| General | http://www.onguardonline.gov/ |
| Malware Defender Download | |
| Antivirus Software Download | |
| Computer Cleanup Download | |
| Latest Browser Download (choose one) |