Online Security Tips

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At First Federal Savings Bank, we are committed to providing our customers with a safe and secure Internet Banking environment. While the bank, along with our service providers, continues to evaluate and implement the latest improvements in Internet security technology, users of our Internet Banking services also have responsibility for the security of their information and should always follows our security recommendations.

User Responsibilities

• Utilize the latest 128 bit encryption version of either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. The online banking system is best viewed and is most secure when you use one of these two browsers, as they are both certified for use at our site.
• Your Password must be kept confidential. You must follow our specific parameters for establishing an Access ID and Password. We recommend that you change your Password periodically to ensure that the information cannot be guessed or used by others. Be sure others are not watching you enter information on the keyboard when using the system.
• Never leave your computer unattended while logged on to any Internet Banking service. Others may approach your computer and gain access to your account information if you walk away.
• Click the Home button when you are finished using the system to properly end your session. Once a session has been ended, no further transactions can be processed until you log on to the system again.
• Close your browser when you are finished, so that others cannot view any account information displayed on your computer.
• Keep your computer free of viruses. Use virus protection software to routinely check for a virus on your computer. Never allow a virus to remain on your computer while accessing the online banking system.
• Report all crimes to law enforcement officials immediately.

Access ID and Password Parameters

Your Access ID must be at least 8 characters and no more than 17 characters long. Your Access ID may include numbers, letters, and special characters (such as $, #, &, @). Once an Access ID is created, it cannot be changed. Your Access ID is case sensitive.

Your Password must be at least 8 characters and no more than 17 characters long, and include at least 2 numbers and 2 letters. Your Password may include numbers, letters, and special characters (such as $, #, &, @). Your Password is case sensitive. We encourage you to choose a password that would not be easily guessed by others, and that includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and/or special characters. We recommend that you change your Password periodically.

It is important that you memorize your Access ID and Password. It is not recommended that you save your password in your computer. Extra care should be taken when utilizing a public computer.

User Authentication, Timeouts, and Lockouts

Users are required to enter an Access ID and Password to access an Internet Banking service. After 10 minutes of inactivity, the session will “timeout”, and users will automatically be logged off. Users will be required to enter their Access ID and Password again to access the service.

After three (3) unsuccessful login attempts, the user will be locked out and unable to access the service. Users will need to wait 15 minutes before logging in again. After three (3) lockouts, the user becomes disabled and must contact the Bank in person or by phone to have their password reset. Please contact us at (877)488-8400 for assistance.

E-mail Use

E-mail is not a secure method of communication. It is recommended that customers never send private or confidential information over e-mail or other text based applications such as instant messaging applications. Never send your social security number, date of birth, account numbers, passwords or codes, or any financial information in an e-mail. First Federal will not request or send this information to you or anyone in an e-mail. Please contact your local branch office or call us at (877)488-8400 if you need this type of information from us.

Phishing

Phishing is a form of an e-mail based scam that attempts to convince an individual to enter sensitive data such as credit card numbers, Internet Banking Access IDs and Passwords, and bank account numbers. Often, these e-mails look like they come from a legitimate company such as your bank or other businesses that you are familiar with. They may include such headings as

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”
Or
“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”

The recipient is then provided a link to a website that is made to mimic a legitimate website. This website will ask a customer to log in or to enter personal information. Never respond to an e-mail with a website link that requests you to log into your account or enter personal information. These sites are not legitimate.

First Federal Savings Bank will never ask you to verify information via e-mail. If you believe that you have received a suspicious e-mail claiming to be from First Federal Savings Bank or our affiliates, please forward it to internetbanking@firstfederalmn.com or call our customer service department at (877)488-8400.

Viruses and Spyware

Viruses and spyware can cause unwanted consequences for your computer. These unwanted programs can do many malicious things including logging key strokes, sending confidential information back to the creator, or causing your computer to be used in activities such as spamming. To help decrease your risks that these programs are loaded on your computer, it is important to have an up-to-date virus program on your computer. You should also regularly perform security updates on your computer and turn on its firewall. These steps can dramatically help reduce this risk, but it is important to keep in mind that they cannot completely eliminate it.

E-mail attachments are common ways that these programs spread. Be careful when opening e-mail attachments even if they look like they came from someone you know. Viruses often send themselves to contact lists of infected computers and make themselves look like they came from legitimate people. The e-mail is designed to encourage the user to click on the attachment so that the virus or spyware program can install itself on that user’s computer. Never open suspicious attachments.