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Digital banking is simple and easy. You can transact anywhere using your own personal device, making it easy to forget about security. However, as we mark International Cybersecurity Month which is held each October, it’s important to take a step back and understand that cyber security is a shared responsibility.

Why Cybersecurity is a Shared Responsibility

At DFCC Bank, we take cybersecurity very seriously and we have implemented world class systems and processes to ensure the highest levels of data security and the lowest risk for our customers. However, no matter how secure a network is, each point of access into the network is potentially vulnerable.

Unfortunately, every device we use to access the convenience of digital banking is a point of access into the network. Therefore, while DFCC Bank has implemented stringent security measures, each individual user too should take basic precautions to secure their devices and transactions.

There are many healthy habits and practices that you can easily adopt to ensure the security of your digital devices and thus the security of your digital banking activity. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of these, along with common methods used by criminals to gain access to your bank accounts.

Fundamental Tip # 1:   

 Never Give Out Personal Information

DFCC Bank, its agents and government or law enforcement officials will never ever contact  you by telephone, email, SMS or through any other channel and ask you to disclose personal information for any reason. This includes account numbers, user names, passwords, card/cvv numbers, one-time passwords or any other such information. No genuine financial services institution will ever do this.

Therefore, no matter how genuine it may seem, never give out your information to a 3rd party. Should you ever receive such a communication please report it to us via email at info@dfccbank.com or call us on 0112-350000.

However, if you contact us it is standard procedure for us to ask you a few questions to verify your identity. Therefore, always ensure to use our genuine contact information which can be found on our website and never use contact information provided to you by a 3rd party without verifying its authenticity.

Common Methods Used for Cyber-Attacks

Phishing Emails/Calls: This is the most common method used by attackers and they use carefully crafted and personalized emails/phone calls to pose as genuine entities, such as your bank. This is simply to trick you into providing personal information such as login codes, passwords, account numbers etc… Do not trust any communication that you have not directly initiated.

Drive-By Downloads From a Compromised Website: These are malicious downloads that happen without a user’s knowledge when they visit a compromised website. Therefore, do not visit websites that you do not trust.

USB and Removable Media: Malware can be auto copied to devices once an infected USB drive is inserted. Do not allow untrusted USB devices to be inserted into your computer or mobile devices. Also avoid public charging cables and stations as these may be compromised too.

Social engineering: This is where users are manipulated into believing a message, link, or attachment is from a trusted source, and then infecting targeted systems with malware, stealing money, or accessing confidential information on targeted devices.

Money Mules/Additional Income Scams/419 Scams: Unwitting people are enticed with opportunities to make large amounts of money for a small amount of work or to redeem lottery winnings, claim inheritances or other similar things. There’s only one catch; you’ll have to either send them a small amount of money as a fee or hand over your bank details. Do not fall for such scams.

How You Can Protect Yourself

Avoid Public Wi-Fi, Free VPNs and Other Unsecured Networks – Intercepting your information on an unsecured public network is a relatively easy task. Hence, never do any banking or other sensitive activities on such networks.

Always Use Trusted Apps – Make sure all apps on your mobile device, including banking apps, are downloaded from trusted sources such as Google Play or the App Store. Malicious apps can take control of your device and data.

Always Access Directly –When accessing our services through a web browser you should always directly type the URL into your web browser.

Secure & Update Your Devices – Ensure mobile devices are locked and that all devices receive the latest updates and are frequently scanned for viruses/malware.

Passwords – A strong password is difficult to crack. Ensure you change your password often.

Regularly Review Your Activity – Check the last login activity each time you login and make sure it’s familiar. Also, review your statements regularly to ensure that no suspicious or unauthorized transactions have been made on your account.

Authenticate Only Once –After initial set up, our online and mobile banking services will require you to authenticate only once each time you login, unless your session times out in which case you’ll have to start from the beginning. Don’t fall prey to any popups or other notifications that may ask you to log in again or “confirm/update” your login details no matter how genuine they may appear. If you receive such a message your device could be infected with malware.

Mobile Notifications – Immediately being notified of account activity can alert you to anything suspicious early on. Call DFCC Bank on 0112-350000, 24/7 to subscribe for instant SMS/email alerts.

Never Sign Into Online Banking Indirectly or on Public Computers: This means never clicking on 3rd party links to get to your bank, especially links in emails, text messages and pop-up windows. Avoid public computers at all costs.

You Are Your Best Defense

With online security, thinking and reading carefully before you click is the first and best line of defense. With digital banking you should be extra careful and stop what you’re doing immediately if you notice any malicious behavior of the device you use to access your banking applications.

Always remember to stay safe while enjoying the convenience of online and mobile banking services brought to you by DFCC Bank.