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SECURITY CENTER INFORMATION
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SECURITY
ALERT!
Farmers and Mechanics Federal
will never ask you to send personal account or financial information
by, in response to, or via a link in an email. Never send any
account sensitive information by email such as account numbers, your
unique ID number, passwords, email addresses, or any other
confidential information. Be careful even if you recognize the name
of a trusted credit card company asking you to verify your
information with them to continue uninterrupted service. If you come
in contact with any such email, please contact a representative of
that company as soon as possible. Always guard your finanacial
information with care.
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INTERNET
SECURITY IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
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LEARN HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR INTERNET BANKING EXPERIENCE A
SAFE ONE
- KEEP YOUR INTERNET BROWSER UP TO DATE WITH
THE LATEST BROWSER VERSION
- Please realize the importance of keeping your browser (Internet
Explorer, Netscape) and operating system (Windows, Linux, Mac) updated
with the most current update by downloading security patches as they are
released. You may already recognize the value of this exercise in terms
of having the latest features and functions; however, you also need to
do this to ensure the highest level of security. Various virus and worm
programs on the internet seek to harvest information from web users by
installing themselves via infected pop-up advertisements which display
when users browse the web. While Internet administrators immediately
attempt to shut down the websites which receive the stolen information,
internet users need to take responsibility to protect themselves by
keeping their internet software up to date.
- UPDATE YOUR ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE REGULARLY
- The news is full of stories about new viruses or "worms" which seem
to crop up regularly. We want to remind you of the importance of keeping
the anti-virus software on computers used to access the internet with
the most current update available.
ATM/DEBIT CARD
SECURITY
- Treat your card like cash. Keep it safe.
- Keep your PIN a secret.
- Do not disclose information over the phone.
- Review your account statements.
- Report a lost or stolen card at once.
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Click the ATM icon
for more ATM info.
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WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
Do not trust or act upon unsolicited emails that request
personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, ATM PINs,
social security numbers, etc.
- Fraudulent emails are typically not personalized with financial
institution information.
- Fraudulent email often present end users with scenarios of negative
consequences if they do not act immediately on the email’s instructions.
- Fraudulent email messages often contain flawed English.
Do not fill out forms contained in email messages requesting
sensitive information.
- Personal information should be provided by calling your financial
institution directly or by logging onto their secure web site by typing
the URL (web address) into your browser.
- Type your financial institution’s URL (web address) into your
browser and bookmark it. Use the bookmark derived from hand-typing the
address for all subsequent visits to your financial institution’s
website.
Keep your web browser patches up to date.
- Regularly access your browser’s website to download security
patches. Patching your browser regularly will protect you against a
variety of software vulnerabilities.
Regularly log in to your
online accounts.
- If you see anything unusual, report it immediately to your financial
institution.
- Pay close attention to your bank, credit card and debit card
statements. If you see anything suspicious, immediately contact your
financial institution and the card issuer.
ALSO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING WORKAROUNDS
Disable Active scripting and ActiveX controls
- Disabling Active scripting and ActiveX controls in the Internet Zone
(or any zone used by an attacker) appears to prevent exploitation of
this vulnerability. Disabling Active scripting and ActiveX controls in
the Local Machine Zone will prevent widely used payload delivery
techniques from functioning. Instructions for disabling Active scripting
in the Internet Zone can be found in the Malicious Web Scripts FAQ. See
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 833633 for information about securing
the Local Machine Zone. Also, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP (currently
at RC2) includes these and other security enhancements for IE.
Do not follow unsolicited links
- Do not click on unsolicited URLs received in email, instant
messages, web forums, or Internet relay chat (IRC) channels. While this
is generally good security practice, following this behavior may not
prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in all cases. For example, a
trusted web site could be compromised and modified to deliver exploit
script to unsuspecting clients.
INTERNET SECURITY DEFINITIONS
- PHISHING
- Download the brochure
for additional information. The term "phishing" – as in fishing for
confidential information - refers to a scam that encompasses
fraudulently obtaining and using an individual's personal or financial
information.
If you suspect an e-mail or Web site is fraudulent,
please report this information to Farmers And Mechanics Federal
immediately (812-384-4473). Example: If your bank's Web page looks
different or unusual, contact the institution directly to confirm that
you haven't landed on a copycat Web site set up by criminals. Also, you
may contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ifccfbi.gov), a
partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
If you receive an email claiming
to be from your financial institution, but which you suspect is aimed at
defrauding you, contact your financial institution and the FBI’s Internet
Fraud Complaint Center. (www.ifccfbi.gov)
These references
are provided only as a service to our customers, and do not constitute
legal or compliance advice. We make no claims, promises or guarantees
about the accuracy, completeness, appropriateness, or adequacy of the
information contained therein.
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