Everything you need to know to keep your money safe

With #onlinebanking comes a series of undeniable advantages and benefits, which over time have made our daily life easier. But let us not forget about safety in the online environment! For this very reason, we have prepared a list of good practices to keep your data and money safe.

1. Increased attention to received e-mails 📧



🔸 Never open files received by email from unknown sources

Although throughout the day we all receive a lot of emails, whether from friends, acquaintances, or various companies, a good practice is to filter those messages that have an attached file and come from people or firms you have never heard of. Most cyber viruses are spread as attachments to emails you receive from unknown sources.

Therefore, if you receive an email message that informs you to open the attachment as soon as possible, as it is an emergency, and you do not know the sender, it is best to delete that email, including from Trash.

🔸 A suspicious email

A very important thing to keep in mind in your relationship with us is not to open emails that seem to be from BT, but are not. In case you see an email in your Inbox that comes with the slightest suspicion, the best thing is to contact us. Whether you do it directly on site, at the address contact@btrl.ro or at the phone number 0264 30 80 28, until you manage to get in touch with us, under no circumstances should you open the attached file or follow the links in such an email. You will find out why below 😊.

🔸 Phishing – the method of theft through e-mail

Phishing it is a method of identity theft through which an attempt is made to obtain, from a company's clients, some personal or confidential data. These can later be used illegally by malevolent persons to carry out transactions even in your account.

How does phishing work?

Think about an electronic message sent to hundreds of thousands of recipients (yes, yes, no exaggeration) that claims to be from a legitimate source, such as Banca Transilvania, in our case. Often the title of the message is designed in such a way as to catch your attention, for example “Important message – Updating personal data”.

In most cases, the content of the phishing message is formulated in such a way as to make you feel obliged to comply with the request, such as: "Failure to confirm your online account details will lead to its permanent suspension."

The most frequently, you will be asked to enter confidential data using a link to a site indicated in the message text. This link will direct you to a fake site, but which reproduces very well the original page – in our case, the site of Banca Transilvania or the e-Banking product used.

At the moment you choose to enter your personal data on such a fake site and validate it, ill-intentioned people gain possession of the personal data and can use it to carry out transactions on your bank account.

❗ Remember: We will never send you messages through electronic channels such as e-mail, social media, or your phone number, which include links to websites where you are asked to enter information regarding personal identity, accounts, card number, expiration date, PIN or other banking products and services held. An exception is the SMS message we send to you on the phone number for accessing the application BT Visual Help.

2. Eliminate the vulnerabilities of your devices 💻



The most useful method to always keep your personal devices safe is through constant updates. More precisely, you know those pop-ups you receive from the operating system that tell you "software has updates available"? Well, the first instinct is to opt for the option to postpone the installation because that steals time from you. Isn't it?

Unfortunately, it is not exactly the best decision because at that moment you leave a door open to cyber attackers who will have access to your private data, putting you at risk of having your identity stolen or your money taken from your account. Even if at the moment you do not think it is a very important thing, it is good to know that these updates are vital precisely because they include updates to possible security breaches, both of operating systems and browsers (practically the main vulnerabilities that virtual attackers look for when they want to attack your computer).

Also, install a high-performance anti-malware program to always protect your computer and update it whenever necessary. Such a program will keep your computer safe at all times, protecting both your files and personal data.

Some anti-malware products also include special features that have been integrated to protect you even when you are shopping online or accessing banking websites. Therefore, choose the one that suits your needs and consider it as a long-term investment in your safety.

3. Always check the URL 🔒



When you visit a site that asks you to enter your confidential data, even for a simple login, carefully check the URL of the page to make sure it matches the page you want to access. If the URL contains a series of random digits and numbers or looks suspicious in any way, under no circumstances enter your information. For added safety, it is best to always type the URL, especially when it comes to accessing your bank accounts.

4. Care for your phone 📱



Avoid using devices whose operating system has been modified (rooted or jailbroken from the official version) as this operation changes or in some cases even eliminates the security measures implemented by the manufacturer, exposing you to additional risks. Whenever possible, keep your device's operating system updated with the latest security patches and upgrades. We also recommend using an antivirus application. You know how it is, you can never be too sure, so it's best to take advantage of all the methods at your disposal!

5. Online payments 🛒



🔸 With eyes on HTTPs

Make sure that when you make a payment or access a website where you need to enter your personal login details, the connection is encrypted. You can easily notice this by checking the URL link. If it starts with the letters "https" and there is a closed padlock image in front of it, it means the connection is verified, so you are therefore safe. To leave no room for doubt, click on the padlock and check the SSL authentication certificate that has been issued to the site. Through this action, you will find exact data about the company to which the certificate was issued, the period during which it was issued, who approved it, and until when it is valid.

🔸 Use your own internet connection

Try as much as possible to use your own internet connection, whether it is provided through data or Wi-Fi, when you access your bank account, use banking applications, or want to shop online. Additionally, to be certain that no one else manages to access your internet connection, it is preferable to have a complex password that only you know.

When it comes to the public Wi-Fi network, everything becomes a bit more complicated, as real risks may arise such as the interception of traffic by third parties who can easily steal your confidential data such as: credentials, instant messages, and emails.

Even if it seems a bit more complicated at first, choose to secure your accounts with complex passwords and never use the same password for all accounts. We know, sometimes it can be convenient to have a single password, but when it comes to the safety of your money, it is best to always be cautious.

🔸 Unknown sites must be checked

Good security overcomes the bad danger! So, in case you have found a new site that has interesting products and you are thinking of making a purchase, but still there is uncertainty about the first contact with the online store, we suggest you consider two options to be 100% safe.

The first of these is to choose cash on delivery payment, so that you pay the value of the package at the moment it arrives to you and you can check it. In case this option does not exist, the second option is to check the website. In other words, type into the search engine "Whols’ IP Service" and start a short investigation. All you have to do is copy the online store's URL and check it through such an instrument. You will quickly find data such as: the IP address and its location, how long the site has been operational and the company owning it, and then you can make a much better-informed decision.

6. Extra safety 🔔



For extra safety, we also recommend the service SMS Alert. Practically, with its help you can track the activity on your bank account 24/7 directly on your mobile phone. See in real time all the transactions made on your BT cards on the same phone number and in this way you can be calm because you have full control over the operations made.

We want to always know that you are safe, precisely for this reason we recommend you to report as soon as possible any problems regarding the security of your information at *8028 or 0264-308028 or by sending us an e-mail at contact@btrl.ro.