October is Cyber Security Month: 7 Tips to Keep Your Bank Account Secure

Kyle Welsh

Senior Technology, Cybersecurity and Risk Management Professional, CRISC / vCISO

Published Sep 30, 2016

I’ve worked at BECU, Washington’s largest credit union, since 1997. I’ve stuck with BECU all these years because it’s a great organization and I believe, 100%, in the importance of credit unions.

I started as a developer and now I’m the Chief Information Security Officer. As much as my role has changed, though, it doesn’t even begin to compare to how much technology has changed.

So when I was asked if I had any tips to share with our members for Cyber Security month, I didn’t hesitate. Keeping yourself – and your information – safe online isn’t hard and it is essential. I really believe anyone can do it.

Here’s a quick summary of my top seven strategies. You can find the full article at becu.org here.

1. Think of your passwords like toothbrushes.

Change them frequently
Don’t share them
Don’t leave them lying around
The longer you brush, the better

2. To remember passwords,use a password manager. All you have to do is remember one password. The manager remembers the rest for you and stores them securely in the cloud. I like LastPass and Dashlane.

3. Figure out if you’ve been hacked by going to the website haveibeenpwned.com. It’s a good source. We recommend it to our employees here at BECU.

4. If you’ve been hacked, disconnect from the internet. Run a complete scan with an anti-virus/spyware scanner you trust. Contact your financial institution and credit card companies.

5. Be careful with what you share on social media. Check your settings to make sure only friends can see what you post, or at most friends of friends.

6. Assume that everything you do on public or free Wi-Fi can be seen by other people. Refrain from conducting sensitive activities such as online banking or shopping.

7. Make sure you’re using legitimate apps – especially when doing online banking. I always check to see how many reviews an app has. Not what the rating is – how many people have reviewed it. The more, the better.

Read my full article, with extra tips and resources, on becu.org >>