You take precautions to protect yourself and your family. You have locks on your doors to keep your loved ones safe and to prevent thieves from stealing your valuables and other physical possessions. But have you given thought to what you can do to prevent the loss or theft of your electronic assets? This includes your bank account and other information on your personal computers, at home and when banking or shopping remotely online. There are some strategies to protect these all-important assets and information, and Southeastern Bank, along with the FDIC, wants to be sure you have all the tools you need:
- Take extra precautions for logging into bank and other financial accounts. This includes using “strong” user IDs and passwords consisting of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. Keep these IDs and passwords secretive and secure, and don’t use the same password for different accounts.
- Keep your software up-to-date. This includes everything from your operating system to your word processing software, Internet browsers, spreadsheet software, and even your digital photography applications.
- Install anti-virus software that prevents, detects and removes malicious programs. Malware can enter your computer in a variety of ways – as an attachment to an email, a downloaded file or contaminated jump drive. Fight back by installing anti-virus software that periodically runs in the background of your computer to search for and remove malware.
- Only use security products from reputable companies. Some anti-virus software and firewalls can be purchased, while others are free. Either way, check out these products by reading reviews and look for products with high ratings for detecting problems and providing support.
- Be careful where and how you connect to the Internet. A public computer, such as an Internet cafe or hotel business center, may not have up-to-date security software. Also, if you are using your own computer (laptop or tablet) for online shopping or banking, avoid connecting to a wireless network at a public “hotspot” such as a coffee shop, hotel or airport.
There are many more tips on cybersecurity on the FDIC’s website. Call us at Southeastern Bank with any questions on additional tips to keep you and your money safe. We are here to help!
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About Us: Southeastern Bank, established in 1888, has a long history of serving its customers and communities. From checking accounts and loans to investments and more, Southeastern Bank has the financial products you need most. Southeastern Bank has 10 locations throughout coastal Georgia and northeast Florida that include Brunswick, Callahan, Darien, Eulonia, Folkston, Hilliard, Kingsland, Nahunta, Richmond Hill and St. Simons Island.
