online banking safety, the right way

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do a lot of things; baking a cake, running a marathon, changing a lightbulb… the list goes on and on. But, did you know there is a right way to bank online? Knowing how to accurately and safely manage your money online is easy, if you’ve got the facts. Lucky for you, we consider ourselves online banking safety experts.

say no to public wi-fi

If you use a public wi-fi network (like in a coffee shop or library) you can’t always be sure who sees what you send online. Plus, these networks are usually not encrypted, which means it’s easier for hackers to steal your personal and financial information. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so please do your online banking at home or through your phone’s cellular network.

monitor your accounts regularly

No one knows your spending habits better than you. For ultimate online banking safety, we recommend you keep a close eye on your account balances. This will not only help you keep track of your finances and spending, but also help you detect fraud. To help with this, you will always receive an email after you login to online banking. In addition, you can also sign up for mobile alerts by navigating to ‘text banking’ in settings of Sunova GO. Remember, if you do notice anything weird or suspicious, we’re only a phone call or text away.

Call: 1.833.3.SUNOVA (1.833.378.6682)

say bye-bye to automatic login

Although super convenient, automatic login could make it easier for others to steal your information. We highly recommend disabling this feature, both on your phone and desktop as soon as possible.

WIRED suggests to also limit the number of sites you sign into with your Facebook and Google IDs. While it can be a quick and easy way to login (less info to remember), this can also give hackers more ways to break into your account. You can review and discontent apps from Facebook here and from Google here.

perfect your password for ultimate online banking safety

Learning how to perfect your password may take some getting used to but it’s well worth it in the end. Here are some basic rules you should follow:

• Create a long and complicated password, containing upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers.
• To ensure maximum security, consider changing your password every few months or so.
• Use a unique password for every app, website, or service you are signed up for.
• Leave paper in the past. Writing your passwords down on a piece of paper is just asking for it to fall in the wrong hands.

know how to recognize phishing

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails or texts (and even online advertisements) claiming to be from reputable companies in order to persuade individuals to reveal personal information, such as online banking passwords and credit card numbers. Being able to detect these types of scams is key to online banking safety.

safeguard your mobile device

If you do online banking through our Sunova GO app, adding another layer of security may not be a bad idea. Protect your mobile device by ensuring you have a password, PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition feature put in place.

get in touch about online banking safety

Last but certainly not least, get in touch with our Help HQ team if you notice anything suspicious. Maybe you received a phishing email or noticed weird activity on your accounts? Even if you’d just like to ask a question, we’d love to hear from you.