We want you to know that your online or mobile banking account is secure in accordance with the new Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) guidelines. Virtually all types of transactions are now more secure using the FFIEC guidelines to ensure that the person signing into your account is actually you and that only you have access to perform online banking transactions.
Vinton County National Bank will never contact a customer via phone, e-mail, text message or direct mail asking for any of your credentials including usernames, passwords, account numbers, social security numbers, etc.
Facts About Online Banking Security
Online banking security begins with authenticating you as the owner of your account and not someone who has stolen your identity and compromised your account. In order to identify you, authentication methodologies involve three basic factors:
- Something the user knows (e.g., password, PIN)
- Something the user has (e.g., ATM card, smart card)
- Something the user is (e.g., biometric characteristic such as a fingerprint)
Enhanced Security Features for Better Protection
Since virtually every authentication technique can be compromised, we should not rely solely on a single control for authorizing high risk transactions, but rather a system of layered security. We use a layered security program that uses different types of controls at different points during an online banking transaction. Multiple security layers generally compensate for weaknesses in one control with the strength of another.
Effective controls that may be included in a layered security program include, but are not limited to:
- Fraud detection and monitoring systems that include consideration of customer history and behavior and enable a timely and effective institution response
- The use of “positive pay,” debit blocks, and other techniques to appropriately limit the transactional use of the account
- Enhanced controls over account activities; such as transactions allowed per day and allowable payment windows (e.g. days and times)
- Internet protocol (IP) reputation-based tools to block connection to bank servers from IP addresses known or suspected to be associated with fraudulent activities
- Policies and practices for addressing customer devices identified as potentially compromised and customers who may be facilitating fraud
- Enhanced control over changes to account maintenance activities performed by customers either online or through customer service channels
- Enhanced customer education to increase awareness of the fraud risk and effective techniques customers can use to mitigate the risk
Internal Assessments
We will continue to provide you the best security measures to protect your online banking account using single and multiple security factors. Enhanced layered security will also be used to protect your personal information as well as the banking transactions where appropriate. We will also make periodic risk assessment and adjust control mechanisms as appropriate in response to changing internal and external threats.
Prevention Starts with You
We recommend that you take several precautions to help prevent the compromise of your online banking account:
- Install anti-virus software and anti-malware programs on your computer.
- Install firewall software to prevent the “hacking” of your computer by fraudsters looking to collect your personal information.
- Stay current with your computer’s operating system, which may contain updates and patches to close security loopholes.
- Be diligent in tracking your transactional activity and reporting of suspicious activity.
- Frequently change password associated with online and mobile banking login screens.
- Limit access to your online banking account to yourself.
If You Suspect a Compromise
If you have determined or are suspicious that your account may have been compromised in any way, or you have received suspicious communications such as e-mails that ask for privacy information, please contact us immediately at 1.800.542.5004 so your matter can be addressed.