Internet Security Best Practices

Online security is a growing concern for consumers and businesses trying to protect themselves from fraudulent activity. The Internet has become a primary source for criminals to obtain identifying data, passwords, or banking information and use them to gain unauthorized access to financial accounts.

It is important to educate and protect yourself when using Internet-connected systems. Following are a number of measures you can take to help limit the risk of a security breach. Unfortunately, these do not 100% guarantee your security, as there are new malicious tactics created daily. But every precaution helps!

Do not share access credentials.

Be sure to log off online banking after completing your session.

Review account activity and statements regularly and report errors immediately.

Use one computer exclusively for online banking activities and a different computer to surf the web and send/receive email.

Use an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), website filtering, hardware firewall, and email filtering to prevent threats from reaching your computers. Ensure these systems are set to automatically update for security software patches.

Verify a site is protected with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate prior to typing in sensitive information. If a site is secure, it will display https:// in the address bar and/or display a padlock symbol () .

Use a current browser with phishing protection, web filtering, auto-security update, and other safe site security.

Do not respond to emails or phone calls asking for personal information, such as account number, account info, Social Security Number, etc.

Do not open a program, file, or attachment unless you know it is legitimate. Even when you are confident an attachment is legitimate, it is still a good idea to run it through an updated virus scan program.

Delete emails from unknown sources. Many email scams will use dramatic subject titles and count on recipients to be curious and open these emails.

Do not reply or click on a link in an unsolicited email. If you receive an email that warns you an account will be shut down unless you reconfirm your personal information, contact the company cited in the email using a known telephone number.

To offer the best protection possible for our online banking clients, First Interstate Bank has a comprehensive, layered security system in place. This system has been evaluated using a risk-based assessment model. We encourage our business clients to risk assess their security and business controls periodically to ensure they are protecting their business from internal and external fraud threats. If you suspect fraudulent activity related to your First Interstate Bank account(s), please contact us immediately at 1-866-212-4711 or at phishing-abuse@fib.com.