Learn more about staying safe online during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

How cyber-savvy are you? This month is a good time to find out. October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, created to educate individuals and businesses about growing cyber threats and to help them adopt online habits that can help keep them safe and secure online. Cyber theft is the fastest-growing crime in the United States. And it’s not just large corporations and individuals who are vulnerable; it’s estimated that 61 percent of all cyber attacks are against small businesses.

At First Utah Bank, we take cyber security very seriously and have taken a number of steps to keep our customers safe online. Are you doing enough? Check out this list of some of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself and your business.

Do not open unsolicited e-mails that contain attachments. Did you know that some of the most common cyber crimes today stem from someone clicking a link or downloading a file in an email that appears to be from a friend or work colleague? Unless you are expecting the file, document, or invoice AND have verified the sender’s email address, NEVER open or download an attached file or click on a link. You could inadvertently download malicious code or give a criminal valuable personal information.

Beware of unsolicited messages. If you receive an e-mail that asks you to update, check, or verify your private information, do not follow the link provided in the message or call the phone numbers provided there. Go to the company’s website to log into your account or call the phone number listed on the official website to see if in fact the request is legitimate. Know that a First Utah Bank employee will NEVER ask to ‘verify’ your Internet Banking password.

Pay attention to email addresses and URLs. Scammers often mimic a legitimate site or email address by using a slight variation in spelling.

At First Utah Bank, we want you to feel confident that you’ve logged on to our official Internet Banking site. If you’re on our website, you’ll see an Extended Validation (EV) certificate on the site once Internet Banking is loaded. EV may be recognized as the “green URL address bar” found in your browser’s URL. This protective measure displays a green bar over the website URL, providing you with visual confirmation that you are on our valid website. EV can help protect you against identity theft, fraud and provide you with an additional layer of security.

Every time you access First Utah Bank Internet Banking, the EV certificate (green URL address bar) will be displayed before you are required to enter your password. If the green URL address bar is not present, do not proceed; contact First Utah Bank immediately by calling 801-308-2273 or emailing our technical support team at internet-support@firstutahbank.com. The technical support team is available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, except on holidays.

Carefully scrutinize all electronic requests for a payment or transfer of funds. Be 100 percent sure a request for payment is legitimate before making a payment. Confirm requests for wire transfers or payment in person or over the phone as part of a two-factor authentication process. Do not verify these requests using the phone number listed in the request for payment.

Don’t send personal financial information in an unencrypted state. E-mails can be intercepted. An email solution that encrypts messages between financial institutions and their customers should always be used. At First Utah Bank, we offer a secure e-mail service so that our customers can communicate with us. We also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to ensure the information you transmit to us via our website’s Internet Banking and the Treasury Management portals remain secure. SSL encrypts, or scrambles, the information you submit before it leaves your computer and then unscrambles the information when it is received by our Internet server.

Use a strong password. Surveys show many people are still using weak passwords such as ’12345′ and ‘password’ at home and at work even though doing so puts them at greater risk of a cyber attack. Use a password that’s difficult for someone to guess, change your password frequently, do not use the same password you use for other websites, and do not share your password with others.

Stay up-to-date with updates. Operating system software updates should be accepted, downloaded, installed and run promptly, and as recommended. Failing to update regularly can leave you vulnerable.

Log off of your devices when you’re not actively using them. Computer workstations and laptops at your business should be set to logoff automatically after no more than five minutes of non-use, with a password required to log back in. Mobile phones should be set to lock automatically after no more than two minutes of nonuse, with a password required to log back into the phone.

Limit the number of employees who have access to your company’s banking/ financial login information. When employees with this information leave your business, change your passwords and login information.

Don’t access business and personal financial accounts from public wi-fi. It’s super easy for a random person to gain access to your information through this unsecured access. Don’t log into financial accounts of your own or your company’s while on public wi-fi in a cafe, hotel or other public space.

Want to learn more about preventing cyber crime? For more ways to prevent yourself — and your business — from becoming a victim of a cybercrime, go to this link.