Online Banking Security
General Questions about online security:
- What type of security does Security State Bank offer for online banking?
- What does Secure Socket Layer mean?
- What is encryption and how does it work?
- What are cookies?
- What is Phishing?
Questions about your account online:
General Questions About Online Security:
Q. What type of security does Security State Bank offer for online banking?
A. Our Internet Banking product protects you against unauthorized access by deploying Secure Socket Layer encryption, filtering routers, firewalls, and virtual private networks.
Q. What does Secure Socket Layer, (SSL), mean?
A. Secure Socket Layer technology allows the user to establish a session with a secure Internet site. The risk of intrusion is minimal. When you are inside our Internet Banking site, SSL technology secures your account information.
Q. What is encryption and how does it work?
A. Encryption is a process of turning words and phrases into an unrecognizable language before it enters the internet. When using Internet Banking, your account information is turned into this coded language, so that it will appear as gibberish to anyone but you and your bank. All of your Internet Banking sessions will be encrypted with the strongest forms of cryptography available.
Q. What are Cookies?
A. Security State Bank uses "Cookies" to track customers through our secure web site to enable the use of Internet Banking. They are used for security reasons and are not used to collect customer data in any manner.
Q. What is Phishing?
A. Beware of Phishing! (Pronounced fishing.) Phishing involves the use of seemingly legitimate email messages and Internet websites to trick customers into disclosing sensitive information, such as bank account information, social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINS).
The fraudulent email message usually requests the customer to update or validate their financial or personal information in order to maintain their accounts, and directs them to a fake website that may look like the website of a legitimate business. Some consumers will mistakenly submit financial and personal information to the perpetrator who will use it to gain access to financial records or accounts, commit identity theft, or engage in other illegal acts.
Please be advised that Security State Bank does NOT send email messages to its customers asking for verification of any personal information.
Questions about your account online:
Q. How does Security State Bank protect my personal information online?
A. Security State Bank uses multi-layered authentication to verify your ID and your computer. We send a personalized image and pass phrase for you to recognize before entering your password and viewing account information. Browsers must support a secure socket layer to be able to log on to our system.
When you are online, we make sure that you are the only one that can see your account information.
- SSL ensures that you receive information from the internet banking system only. You cannot receive information from anyone else.
- SSL also ensures that information can be read only by the browser that logged on. The highest level of encryption is used to code the information before it is sent.
When your account has been inactive for a period of 15 minutes, the session will time out and you will need to sign in with your access ID and password to continue. This will protect your account information if you are called away from your desk for an extended time.
Q. Is there anything I can do to protect my information while I am online?
A. There are precautions you can take to secure your information.
- Your password will be a combination of alpha and numeric characters. Be careful to choose a password that will not be easy to guess. For example, if your name is Bill and you are 23 years old, do not use "Bill23" as you password. Try to choose an original code that you can remember, but others will not expect.
- Never write your password where it can be found and recognized, (for example, a note attached to your computer). Never tell your password to anyone, including your bank. We do not need to know your password and will never ask you for it.
- Remember to log off from the session when it is complete. You might use a computer other than your own from time to time, and will leave your information vulnerable if you do not log off. It is good practice to log off after each session.
Q. How can I tell if my session is encrypted?
A. An icon will appear in the status bar on your browser indicating a secure session.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer users will typically see a gold colored lock.*
- Netscape Communicator users will typically see a grey lock.*
- Netscape Navigator users will see a gold key.*
*Some web browsers display the icons in various places on the window. You can check your browser for the level of security they provide.
Q. What do I do if someone else discovers my access ID and password?
A. If you believe your Password has been lost or stolen, call Security State Bank immediately at (409) 267-3171, during regular business hours. Telephoning Security State Bank is the best way of minimizing your losses. If you believe your Password has been lost or stolen and you telephone or write us within two business days after you learn of the loss or theft, you can lose no more than $50 if someone uses your Password without your permission. If you do NOT telephone or write us within two business days after you learn of the loss or theft of your Password, and we can prove we could have stopped someone from using your Password without your permission if you had told us, you could lose as much as $500.
