Online Identity Protection

1. What does online identity protection involve?

   Online security includes following best practices while you’re banking online, shopping or just surfing the Internet.

   Following simple guidelines can help protect your identity and allow you to conduct business online with confidence.

2. How can I protect my identity online?

   • Be selective about where you surf. Not all Web sites are benign. Sites that are engaged in illegal or questionable activities often host damaging software and make users susceptible to aggressive computer attacks.
      
   • Use a secure browser. Always use secure Web pages when you’re conducting transactions online (a Web page is secure if there is a locked padlock in the lower left-hand corner of your browser).
      
   • Select a strong password. The best password is an undetectable one. Never use birth dates, first names, pet names, addresses, phone numbers, or Social Security numbers as your password. Instead, use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Be sure to change your passwords regularly.
      
   • Don’t choose “Remember My Password.” You should never use the “remember password” feature for online banking or transactional Web sites.
      
   • Work on a computer you trust. Firewalls, Antivirus and Anti-Spyware software will help protect your computer and your personal information.
      
   • Don’t use public computers for sensitive transactions. Since you cannot validate the computer’s integrity, there’s a higher risk of fraud when you log in from a public computer.
      
   • Log off, disconnect, shut down. Always sign off from online banking or any other Web site that you’ve logged into with a user ID and password. Utilize automatic timeout features that prevent others from continuing your online banking session in case you leave your computer unattended without logging out. When a computer is not in use, disconnect it from the Internet or shut it down.