Internet Banking Safety Tips

Here are some simple tips that you can follow to ensure that your Internet Banking experience is safe and hassle free.

Keep your information confidential
Changing your password
Look for the lock icon
Use a firewall
Use Direct Deposit
Shop with Verified by Visa
Install security updates
Privacy policies
Safe computing practices
Online security
Clear your cache

Keep your passwords, Personal Identification Number (PIN) and card numbers confidential

Do not share your Altas Union Internet Banking password or bank machine Personal Identification Number (PIN) with anyone. Giving your password or PIN to another person or company places your finances and privacy at risk.

Change your password regularly and use a different password than you use for other websites. Make it difficult for others to guess your password by using a combination of letters and numbers in your password. If you think someone knows your password, change it right away.

Never share, disclose, or provide your card number or password to another party or website other than Altas Union. Altas Union will never send you an e-mail requesting this information.

Changing your password

Never save your card number or password on a publicly accessed computer.

If using a publicly accessed computer such as at an internet café or public library, change your password after completing your session by calling the Altas Union Customer Service Centre

When selecting a password, choose a password that cannot be easily guessed by anyone else.

For Altas Union Internet Banking, use:

An alpha-numeric combination
A password more than six characters long
A combination of capital and lower case letters

Don't use:

A password you use for any other service
Your name or a close relative's name
Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative
Your Altas Union account number
Your card number

Look for the lock icon

Before entering personal information on a website, look for the "lock" icon in your browser. A closed lock or padlock indicates that the website you are on is secure.

Use a firewall

When your computer is connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable to attack. Although this is a problem for all types of Internet connections, DSL and cable modem connections are more vulnerable because they offer an "always on" capability. You can help protect your computer from attack by using a personal firewall. Personal firewalls can be software, hardware, or both, and create a barrier to attacks.
Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS X both include automatically activated firewalls. If you are not sure your system has an activated firewall go to the appropriate site below to ..

Microsoft Windows XP: Configure the Internet Connection Firewall

Direct Deposit and Altas Union Internet Banking

You can arrange with your employer to have your salary deposited directly to your Altas Union account so you can prevent lost or stolen cheques.

Shop with Verified by Visa

Verified by Visa protects your Altas Union Visa Debit and/or Credit Card with a password. Once you set up your free Verified by Visa password, you will be prompted for it when you use your Altas Union Visa Debit and/or Credit Card to make purchases at participating online merchants. . about Verified by Visa

Install security updates

Most personal computers use the Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS operating systems. The makers of these systems regularly issue security updates to protect against new and emerging threats. You should download and install security updates regularly or configure your operating system to automatically check for new updates.

Windows: To download the latest Microsoft Windows updates, visit Windows

MacOS X: Choose "Software Update" from the Apple menu.

Look for privacy policies on other websites.

The Altas Union website provide links to other websites that are not operated by Altas Union. If you visit one of these websites, you should read their unique privacy and security policies before entering data on those sites.

Safe Computing Practices

With Altas Union Internet Banking, you can manage almost all of your everyday banking, anywhere you have Internet access, using your laptop or a trusted computer terminal.

Important tips:

When you're travelling, always use a trusted computer whenever possible
Never leave your computer unattended once you have signed on to Altas Union Internet Banking
After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of Altas Union Internet Banking, clear your cache, and close your browser
- If you are using an older version of Internet Explorer we recommend that you upgrade to Internet Explorer 8

Online Security

We want you to be confident when accessing your financial information online. Altas Union uses multiple layers of protection to increase your security while using Altas Union Internet Banking.

Secure Online Banking and Investing

We offer you secure access to your banking and investment accounts. Once you have signed on, you can check your balances, transfer funds, and pay bills online quickly and safely. We also monitor activity in your banking accounts to enhance your security and to protect your financial information.

Web browser encryption

Web browsers use encryption to communicate securely over the Internet. You must have a browser with 128-bit encryption to use Altas Union Internet Banking. All of the browsers supported by Altas Union Internet Banking and these online services offer 128-bit encryption.

Session timeout

To protect you further, your online session will end after a period of inactivity. If you wish to continue accessing your online banking or investment accounts, you will have to sign on again. You should always sign off when you are done and, if using a computer that isn't your own, you should clear your browser's cache and close the browser window.

Clear Your Browser's Cache

If you use a public or shared computer to access Altas Union Internet Banking, it is vital that you sign off when you are finished. Once you have signed off, you should enhance your security by clearing the browser's cache. The cache maintains a copy of web pages that have been viewed recently.

Below are a list of steps on how to clear your browser's cache, or you can use your browser's Help section:

Firefox 3.5 for Windows

Choose "Clear Recent History" from the "Tools" menu
Select "Details"
Ensure that the "Cache" option is checked and select the "Clear Now" button
Close window

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0 for Windows

Choose "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu
Select the "General" tab
From the "Browsing history" section, select "Delete" button
From the "Temporary Internet files" section, select "Delete files" button
Deleting cached files may take a while. When the browser is done, select "OK"

Firefox 2.x for MacOS

Choose "Preferences" from the "Firefox" menu
Select "Privacy" icon from the menu
From the "Private Data" section, select the "Clear Now" button
Ensure that the "Cache" option is checked and select "Clear Private Data Now" button
Select "OK" to close the window

Apple Safari 2.0 or later for MacOS

Choose "Empty Cache" from the Safari menu