4. Don’t Perform Financial Transactions on Public Devices

• Never bank online, pay bills or perform any other financial transactions on a public computer or wireless network

3. Look For Signs a Website is Legitimate

• Before entering any personal information, check to see if the web address is secure by looking for https and a padlock; the padlock may be in the address bar or in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
• Make sure you’re at the correct site by looking for a green address bar; below are examples of this from CNB’s website:
• Internet Explorer
• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari

Tip #2. Create Strong Passwords

• Mix combinations of words, digits, and special characters
• Use different passwords
• You should not use the same password for multiple accounts. If one of your online accounts is hacked, that single password could be used by hackers to access other accounts you have, like a bank account.
• Be creative
• Don’t use obvious passwords like birth dates, phone numbers, family member’s names, or anything else directly related to your life. Be creative and choose passwords that are not easy to guess.
• Don’t write your password down

Over the next few days we will be posting tips on performing financial transactions safely online.

Tip #1. Protect Your Computer

• Keep all your software, including internet browsers, up-to-date by using automatic updating
• Install and use legitimate anti-virus and anti-spyware software
• Keep your firewall turned on
• Password protect your wireless router