A

CYBERSECURITY

GUIDE

Take precautions with your 

tablet or smartphone. Consider 

opting for automatic updates for your device’s 

operating system and “apps” (applications) when they 

become available to help reduce your vulnerability to 

software problems. Never leave your mobile device 

unattended and use a password or other security 

feature to restrict access in case your device is lost or 

stolen. Make sure you enable the “time-out” or “autolock” feature that secures your mobile device when it 

is left unused for a certain period of time. Research 

any app before downloading it. Consult your fnancial 

institution’s website to confrm where to download its 

offcial mobile application. 

Educate yourself. To learn 

more about cybersecurity, visit the 

“Stop. Think. Connect. Resource Guide” 

at www.stcguide.com/resource-index. 

A 

CYBERSECURITY 

GUIDE for Financial 

Institution 

Customers 

A message from the 

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 

FDIC-018-2016
Computer-related crimes affecting 

businesses and consumers are 

frequently in the news. While 

federally insured fnancial 

institutions are required to have 

vigorous information security 

programs to safeguard fnancial 

data, fnancial institution 

customers also need to 

know how to steer clear 

of fraudsters. 

This guide, developed by the 

Federal Deposit Insurance 

Corporation, provides 

cybersecurity information for 

fnancial institutions’ customers 

on how to protect and maintain 

their own computer systems. 

Protect your computer. Install 

software that protects against malware, 

or malicious software, which can access a 

computer system without your consent to 

steal passwords or account numbers. Also, use a frewall 

program to prevent unauthorized access to your PC. While 

protection options vary, make sure the settings allow for 

automatic updates. 

Use the strongest method 

available to log into fnancial 

accounts. Use the strongest authentication 

offered, especially for high-risk transactions. 

Use passwords that are diffcult to guess and keep 

them secret. Create “strong” user IDs and passwords 

for your computers, mobile devices, and online accounts 

by using combinations of upper- and lower-case letters, 

numbers, and symbols that are hard to guess and 

then change them regularly. Although using the same 

password or PIN for several accounts can be tempting, 

doing so means a criminal who obtains one password or 

PIN can log in to other accounts. 

Understand Internet safety 

features. You can have greater confdence 

that a website is authentic and that it 

encrypts (scrambles) your information during 

transmission if the web address starts with “https://.” 

Also, ensure that you are logged out of fnancial accounts 

when you complete your transactions or walk away from 

the computer. To learn about additional safety steps, 

review your web browser’s user instructions. 

Be suspicious of 

unsolicited e-mails 

asking you to click 

on a link, download 

an attachment, or provide 

account information. It’s easy for 

cyber criminals to copy the logo of a reputable 

company or organization into a phishing email. 

When responding to a simple request, you may be 

installing malware. Your safest strategy is to ignore 

unsolicited requests, no matter how legitimate or 

enticing they appear. 

Be careful where and how you 

connect to the Internet. Only 

access the Internet for banking or for 

other activities that involve personal 

information using your own laptop or mobile 

device through a known, trusted, and secure 

connection. A public computer, such as at a hotel 

business center or public library, and free Wi-Fi 

networks are not necessarily secure. It can be 

relatively easy for cyber criminals to intercept the 

Internet traffc in these locations. 

Be careful when using 

social networking sites. Cyber 

criminals use social networking 

sites to gather details about 

individuals, such as their place or date of birth, 

a pet’s name, their mother’s maiden name, and 

other information that can help them fgure out 

passwords — or how to reset them. Don’t share 

your ‘page’ or access to your information with 

anyone you don’t know and trust. Cyber criminals 

may pretend to be your ‘friend’ to convince you to 

send money or divulge personal information.