SECURE YOUR DEVICES

Peoples Bank of Alabama is committed to helping you fight against fraud. Here are some helpful tips to help you keep your electronic devices secure.

MOBILE DEVICE SECURITY

• Enable the lock feature or utilize the biometric feature on your phone to help prevent anyone from gaining access to your email, texts, and more by simply picking up your device. Be mindful when installing apps
• Avoid installing apps from sources other than the app marketplace that comes with your device.
• Enable features for locating or disabling your phone in the event that it gets lost or stolen.
• Consider waiting until you are connected to a private, secure network. Public wireless internet is convenient, but it’s also a popular target for intrusions.
• Install the latest updates as soon as possible. System updates can patch critical security holes and not installing them promptly could leave your device unnecessarily exposed to malware.

COMPUTER SECURITY

• Check your firewall. Go to your control panel and type “firewall” in the search box. Make sure your firewall is “on” or “connected”.
• Back up your data. Backing up your data protects you in the event of a computer crash or electrical outage or surge, like a lightning storm might produce. It also helps if you fall prey to the newer type of ransomware, which encrypts your sensitive data.
• Stay away from rogue websites. Spotting a rogue website can be difficult, but there are a few things you can do. Look for a green lock in the address bar and the code prefix “https://” at the beginning of the URL while entering your credit card data or accessing your web mail. This prefix indicates a secure website.
• Avoid deals that are too good to be true. Some websites are known to lure customers in with an amazing deal, and once they have your credit card or account information, you will never hear from them again.
• Never divulge sensitive information. No matter what website you’re on, be careful of the sensitive information you reveal; you should be just as careful with your social media profiles as well. Revealing information as innocent as your pet’s name or mother’s maiden name could lead to identity theft, because you probably use the same data as the security question on some other website.
• Avoid opening unknown emails. Never open an email from an unknown or suspicious source, and definitely never open any attachments contained in them. You have to be careful of emails coming from people on your contact list as well, especially if the sender’s account has been hacked.

ONLINE BANKING SECURITY

We are committed to providing you a secure Internet banking environment. Our Online Banking services use industry‐leading and approved technology to help protect your personal information. You can help protect your online banking services by following our security checklist.

• Never provide any personal information over the phone, mail or internet to an unknown or untrusted party.
• Use strong passwords to protect your online account access.
• Protect your login credentials. Never give your login ID, password, or PIN to anybody, including family or friends.
• Change your password regularly.
• Never store your credentials in your browser or in toolbars, as malicious programs can retrieve and harvest these credentials.