Home computer users need to be vigilant about online security. Viruses can hide on and infect personal computers with damaging results. Here are some ways to guard your online security at home:
Always keep your user ID and password confidential. Don’t share them. They are designed to protect you by confirming your identity to our computer network systems. Some helpful hints:
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Do NOT write down your password.
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Remember to change your password on a regular basis.
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Change your password immediately if it becomes known or you suspect it has been stolen.
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Never give your password to anyone over the phone.
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A well-chosen password isn’t much use if you can’t keep it a secret. To help ensure your password is never cracked, do NOT use:
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An easily-discovered piece of personal information. (Your first name, last name, initials or a variation of those, your spouse’s name, the name of a child, the name of a pet or variations of these should NOT be considered.)
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A password that is considered too short or a common word from the dictionary. Computer hackers take advantage of readily available, highly sophisticated “cracking” programs that try most of the common password strategies and variations of those strategies. These programs use every word in the dictionary, many foreign dictionaries, numerical combinations and variations of common password techniques.
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Choose strong, simple passwords. The best passwords have a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. For online banking use, IronStone Bank REQUIRES a password to be between 8 and 14 characters long, allows some special characters and treats lower and upper case letters differently in order to encourage and allow complex passwords.
