Tips & Resources

Find some tips on how to keep your information and identity safe.

Tips to Stay Secure

Choose a topic to learn more about.

Never share personal information online, such as your address, phone numbers, SSN, birth date, or birth place
Always store sensitive personal and financial documents in a secure location, and shred them prior to disposal
Never carry around your Social Security card or share your number unless absolutely necessary
Never carry unnecessary credit cards and cancel credit cards you don’t use
Opt out of pre-screened credit and insurance offers by calling 1-888-567-8688 or go to optoutprescreen.com
Delete all personal information on electronic devices prior to disposal

Never use your social security number as a username or password
Change your password frequently, using a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters when allowed
Never use the same password on multiple sites
Don’t write down or share your password with anyone

Look for signs of fraudulent email:

Requests for specific personal information
Urgency – often threatening to close your account
Money reward offers in exchange for personal information through a survey or other method
Typos and poor grammar
URLs that are different from the sender – for example, links and sender email address do not say @fkcbank.com or @fkc.bank

Use the phone lock function to protect your app or browser based accounts
Delete text message alerts that you set up on your financial accounts after you receive them
Never text personal information such as account numbers, social security numbers, passwords, etc.
Remember to remove or change your mobile number if you lose or replace your mobile device and service
Always log off apps when you are finished using them
Never store personal information on your mobile device
Always upgrade to the latest mobile operating system to be sure you have the latest security protection in place
Only download apps from reputable sources, such as the store built into your device

Ensure you only download programs from known, reliable sources
Ensure your operating system, software, browser versions and plug-ins are current
Install a personal firewall on your computer and keep anti-virus software installed and updated
Public computers should be used with caution. Online banking, downloads, and other private activities should be conducted, when possible, on a private computer
Protect your devices with password security to prevent unauthorized users from remotely accessing your devices or home network

Identity Theft, Privacy and Security Publications for Businesses – Link: http://business.ftc.gov/

National Cyber Awareness System (US-CERT) – Link: http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas

Center for Internet Security (CIS) Link: http://www.cisecurity.org/

OnGuard Online: Learn how to avoid internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. Link: http://www.onguardonline.gov/