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Protecting yourself against cyber attacks.
Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and thieves often try to manipulate people into providing their information through a number of different ways, such as:
- Phishing, where fake e-mails and texts are sent to members with a link that lures you to a fake version of a real website. This site will ask for your security information, such as passwords, account numbers or credit card details,
- Brute Force" attacks, where fraudsters use a computer program to try to guess account passwords, and
- Phone calls to members, where scammers are impersonating trusted sources, such as your credit union, and are asking for your personal information.
-December 2023-
$544 million in stolen funds for more than 41,000 victims.
-Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
It’s a scary thought that cyber attacks are happening, but the good news is that connectFirst continues to stay vigilant in working to prevent such fraud. We have put several security measures in place, many of which are not visible to our members, to safeguard you. A great example of this are the Strong Passwords required for your Online and Mobile Banking, which were developed to help strengthen security for members.
You can protect yourself from being exploited by using caution when receiving requests for personal information, and by following some good practices.
- Don't disclose private information when contacted unexpectedly – we won’t send you an email or text asking you to provide us with your details.
- Don't open email attachments unless you know the sender and are expecting to receive an attachment from them.
- Don't click on links in emails or texts unless you are confident that it will take you to a real website. A good trick is to “hover” your mouse over any links to see the web address before clicking.
- Keep an eye on your accounts through Online and Mobile Banking or by reviewing monthly statements. Let us know immediately if you find any unexpected activity or discrepancies in your balances.
- Sign up for Alerts through Online Banking - it’s a free, safe notification service available to all members that can help monitor your accounts.
- Create Strong, unique passwords by including numbers, symbols, and capitalization and avoid easily guessed passwords like family or pet names, or birthdays.
- Keep your software up-to-date to make sure you have the latest technology helping you keep your information safe. It's likely that outdated software won't have proper malware and security monitoring in place anymore.
Get in touch with us right away if you receive a suspicious phone call or email that claims to be from us, but you aren't 100% sure. You can visit any of your local branches, contact us online or call our Member Connection Centre at 1-866-923-4778.