Your Security

Identity Theft and Your Security


We are committed to keeping your account information secure by protecting your information. This is a team effort. The best line of defense for fighting fraud begins with you. Awareness is the most important part of information security. You are your own best protection against fraud. By staying informed, you can help protect yourself from becoming a victim.
Identify and mitigate losses associated with identity fraud by staying on top of your transactions. With digital banking, you can view transactions 24/7 and spot suspicious activity more quickly. Assuming you are following best practices, digital banking is the least risky form of banking. Consumers who detect fraud online experience less financial loss than those who detect offline.

You can also help protect against identity fraud by:
  • Monitoring Monthly Bank Statements
  • Reviewing your free credit report annually (annualcreditreport.com)
  • Beware of fraudulent emails or websites.
    • The Friendship State Bank will NEVER send you an e-mail asking for personal information.
    • Also, always go directly to The Friendship State Bank's website www.friendshipstatebank.com to access your online accounts.
    • Never click on unverified links in e-mails. These could route you to a suspicious site that looks like our bank website.
  • Learn how to update (patch) your operating system and do that regularly.
  • Learn how to make sure that your virus and spyware defenses are being updated regularly.
  • Use strong passwords.
    • Your passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain a variation of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special characters.
    • You should not use dictionary words as these are easily guessed.
    • Do not use birthdates or spouse or child names that are easily guessed.
  • Protect your passwords.
    • Memorize them rather than writing them down.
    • Passwords are your first line of defense to protecting your information.
  • Never use the "Save ID and Password" option.
    • Use only secure sites when providing personal or credit card information online.
  • Secured sites encrypt personal information before transmitting it from your computer to another server.
    • Encryption scrambles the data and prevents others from reading it.
    • Look for the padlock and "https" in the web address.
  • Never provide personally identifiable information through e-mail.
    • Unless you are utilizing a secure e-mail site that utilizes encryption technology.
  • Log off online banking when you are finished.
    • This is especially important if you are using a computer that others have access to.
  • Beware of suspicious e-mail attachments.
    • Do not open an attachment from an unknown source.
    • Contact the person to verify the validity of the e-mail before opening. If in doubt, delete the e-mail and delete the messages in your deleted mailbox.
  • Beware of downloading files from unverified locations.
    • Many of these files contain spyware or key-logging software that can send information back to malicious sites.
  • Learn who you can contact if something goes wrong online.
  • Teach your kids to be safe online.
  • Use caution when using public computers.
    • You do not know what security measures have been taken or what has been loaded on the PC.
Keeping your confidential personal information secure is our most important responsibility. Whether you bank online or offline, we have strong information security policies, procedures and advanced technology in place regarding our computer systems.

Your information is protected in the following ways:
  • Computer anti-virus and spyware protection detects and prevents viruses and spyware from entering our computer network systems.
  • Firewalls block unauthorized access by individuals or networks.
  • Secure transmissions ensure information remains confidential. We use encryption technology, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), to transmit information between you and us. This protects data in three key ways:
    • Authentication ensures that you are communicating with us, and prevents another computer from impersonating our bank.
    • Encryption scrambles transferred data so it cannot be read by unauthorized parties.
    • Data integrity verifies that the information you send to us is not altered during the transfer. The system detects if data was added or deleted after you sent the message. If any tampering has occurred, the connection is dropped.
  • Built in security features for our online services. Our online applications have many built in security features:
    • Automatic Sign Off. For your security, The Friendship State Bank automatically ends your online banking if there is no activity on your computer for 10 minutes.
    • Unique User IDs and Passwords. Before you sign in, you are required to enter a valid User ID and Password. Because it is important for you to create strong ID and Passwords that cannot be easily guessed, we require you to meet strong password requirements when setting up your ID and password.
    • Security Questions. Our online product requires you to select and answer multiple security questions. These questions are used to help prevent unauthorized access to your online accounts.
    • Secure Email. Email is provided through Online Banking, giving you peace of mind that your communications with us are always private.
    • Security Key. Our online banking has incorporated an additional level of security. You are required to setup a security key that is unique to you. When you login, the security key is displayed. If this does not match the security key you setup, or you do not see the security key appear at login, you know that you are not on our authentic online banking site and should contact the bank immediately.
  • Ongoing Security Risk Evaluation. We are continually evaluating risk and putting controls in place to manage these risks. We monitor technology advancements to ensure that we are providing the most secure environment for your confidential financial information.
To report a suspicious email or webpage, forward the information to info@friendshipstatebank.com. If you believe you have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent email or pop-up website, immediately contact a Friendship State Bank representative at 812-667-5101.
If you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft or online fraud, follow these steps immediately:

Contact one of the major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

Contact your financial institution(s) and credit card companies to close out affected accounts and open new ones.

File a police report to help protect your credit records. Make sure that you receive a copy of the report.





Additional Resources: