You’re Online…..Protect Your
Personal Information
Discussion
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What are some Important Factors you consider when
transacting Online?
What steps do you take to Protect Your Personal
Information Online?
Do you have Practical Tips to share?
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Security for your Computer
Secure your computer
● Use virus and spyware protection software.
This is designed to protect you against malicious software which can extract
private information from your computer.
Automatic updates
● Set your computer to automatically update the latest security
patches for operating systems; such as Microsoft windows
updates.
This will minimize risk from hackers taking advantage of software
vulnerabilities or bugs.
Most experts suggest that this should be done at least weekly.
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Passwords
Use strong passwords on all your accounts.
● Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and
symbols to create a secure password.
● Keep passwords private.
● Be creative. Use a phrase and maybe the first letter of each word.
Substitute numbers for letters.
Example: “I want to see Hawaii!” iW2CHi!
● Do not use the same password for all of your accounts.
Good practice to not reuse login information for your important computer accounts
such as banking or personal financial sites. Use different login information for your
social media sites.
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Security Awareness
Think before you click.
● Do not respond to unsolicited email messages offering services or
requesting personal information.
● Do not click on any links, photos or videos in these suspicious emails
as these messages have a potential to install viruses and spyware on
your computer.
Phishing. What is Phishing?
● Phishing is an act of attempting to acquire information such as
usernames, passwords and credit card details.
● To prevent this, don’t click on malicious link or open a malicious
attachment, in which case your financial information and passwords
may then be stolen.
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Security Awareness - WiFi
Be aware that public wireless access is not always secure.
● Cyber criminals can potentially access any information you provide,
such as credit card numbers, account numbers, or passwords.
● Do not conduct financial transactions on a local free WiFi site that does
not require a password.
Have WiFi in your home/on your farm?
● Protect it!
● Not sure how to password protect your system?
● IMPORTANT: Make sure your wireless network name and your
password are NOT similar. Example: Dairyfarm and password dairy
Network name is broadcasted and you don’t want to make is easy for potential hackers
to figure out your password.
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Security Awareness
Protect your laptop, smartphone or other portable devices when
traveling.
● Just as a purse contains lots of important and personal information that
you wouldn’t want to lose, so do your portable devices. Don’t let them
out of your sight!
● Make sure you have passwords on these devices in case they are lost
or stolen.
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Have Multiple Email Accounts
● Primary or permanent address: Only give to family and friends.
● Work address: Strictly for business purposes. Not subscriptions or
online purchases.
● Address for buying online and subscriptions.
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Security Awareness
Do not email sensitive data.
● Never email credit card or other financial/sensitive information unless
site is secure.
● At Badgerland Financial, customers can send sensitive data via Secure
Email on our web site at badgerlandfinancial.com.
● Badgerland’s Online Banking platform is supported by an industry
standard Extended Validation SSL Certificate by VeriSign. When sites
use this, your browser address bar will turn green giving you more
confidence that you are interacting with a trusted website and that your
information is secure.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate allows secure connections
from a web server to your browser.
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Tips to Help Identify a Safe and Secure Website
Look for the following in the address bar on your internet browser:
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Make sure the web address, or URL, starts with “https://”. The “s” in “https”
stands for secure and indicates that the communication with the webpage is
encrypted.
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A secure website should also have a padlock or key icon next to the web
address. If you click on the padlock it will state that the connection to the server
is encrypted. Look for the padlock before you send personal or financial
information online.
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Identity Theft
Source: Federal Trade Commission
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70% of the 2.1 million complaints filed in 2012 were related to identity theft.
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In Wisconsin –
• Identity theft made up 16% of total consumer complaints.
• Credit card fraud due to identity theft increased 48%
Educating consumers about online purchases could lessen consumer loss.
Do you make online purchases?
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Pay with credit card.
Fraudulent charges can be disputed with credit card company.
Why not use bank account information or debit card?
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Using Social Media Responsibly
Source: wikiHow
● Make sure never to click the box to save your password when you
are on a public, work or laptop computer. Many social media sites
automatically check this box under your sign in, so be vigilant about
making sure it is never saved. If it saves, it may automatically bring up your
account the next time someone else goes to that social media.
● Avoid giving out personal information on social media sites, such as
address, phone number or your birth date. Identity thieves can open
accounts and commit a number of financial crimes with just this
information. You can decide if you want to use a profile picture, but try to
make it a likeness that you can also use as a brand.
● Report potential identity theft complaints to your federal government.
Go to www.ic3.gov to report Internet-based fraud.
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Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Online
Federal Trade Commission
Safely Dispose of Personal Information
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Disposing of a computer: Use wipe utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
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Disposing of mobile device: check your owner’s manual, the service provider’s
website, or the device manufacturer’s website for information on how to delete
information permanently, and how to save or transfer information to a new device.
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Remove memory or subscriber identity module (SIM) card
Remove the phone book
Clear lists of calls made and received,
Delete voicemails, text messages sent and received
Delete photos
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Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Online
Federal Trade Commission
Don’t Overshare on Social Networking Sites
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Never post full name on public site.
Traveling/on vacation? Take pictures now – post online later.
Don’t post too much information about yourself. Identity thief could use to
answer ‘challenge’ questions on your accounts.
• Example: Posting pictures of your pet and pet’s name. Security question “What
is your pet’s name?”
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Social Security number, address, phone number, or account numbers – not
on publicly accessible sites.
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Facebook Security Settings
Click on ‘gear’ in upper right corner when signed into your Facebook page.
● Select Settings
● Click on Security.
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Facebook Security Settings
Click on ‘padlock’ in upper right corner when signed into your Facebook
page.
● Privacy Shortcuts
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FaceBook Edit Profile
Facebook Security Settings
Edit Profile
● Click right under your name to review your Basic Information.
● Make sure your entire Date of Birth is not viewable to all!
● Notice padlock by year. This means only viewable by you.
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FaceBook Edit Profile
Facebook Security Guides
Links to guides Facebook has posted:
A Guide to privacy on Facebook.
Family Safety Center
Help Your Teens Play It Safe
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Everyday Habits to Safeguard Your Identity
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Monitor your bank and credit card transactions for unauthorized transactions.
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Never respond to emails requesting to “verify” your personal information and
identifiers. Your bank, credit card company, online payment system, the IRS – none
of these types of organizations will call or email asking for your confidential
information. They already have it.
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Don’t use your cell phone to store credit card numbers or other financial
information.
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Don’t store passwords, tax returns or other financial information on your
computer hard drive.
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Back up your computer data and store it away from your computer.
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Online Security Tips
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Use strong passwords.
Don’t use the same password on your business accounts and social media
accounts.
Secure your computer.
Keep your operating system updated with latest security patches.
Personal WiFi – password protect it!
Use secure sites to email sensitive data
Safe and Secure websites have ‘https’ and padlock in address bar.
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Contact Information
Rachael Prochaska, Sales Program Director
Badgerland Financial
608-370-6964
[email protected]
badgerlandfinancial.com
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