Security Tips

Are you staying internet safe? Check out some security tips below on how you can protect yourself with online banking:

1. Type in your internet banking URL. For example: https://www.psbup.com

2. Passwords should be kept secret at all times. We will never contact you directly to ask you to disclose your password information

3. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do not be conned by convincing emails or phone calls offering you the chance to make some easy money

4. It is important to use an up-to-date antivirus software program, whether it be built-in or a third-party software application and a personal firewall

5. Avoid public wireless internet access. Hackers and identity thieves often monitor these networks or install malware to capture your login credentials

6. Keep your identity private. Your identity can be as easily stolen offline as it can be online. Do not write down your username and password and leave it next to your computer, and always comply with instructions about destroying expired bank cards

7. Check your bank statements for erroneous or criminal transactions

8. Ensure you log off properly. It is important to make sure that you log off from your internet banking session or any website that holds your sensitive information

Summer Safety Tips 

Are you looking to have a budget friendly summer? See below for each week's Summer Safety Tips!

June 4, 2025

1. Stick to Your Budget

2. Pay Attention To Your Thermostat

3. Build an Emergency Fund for a Rainy Day

June 11, 2025

1. Check Out Weekly Sales/Deals

2. Continue to Pay Down Your Debt

3. Attend Summer Freebies like Festivals and Concerts
    

June 18, 2025

1. Keep the House Cool by Grilling Outside

2. Walk or Bike to Work to Save on Gas

3. Bring Cash on any day Trips to Stay on Budget
    

June 25, 2025

1. Check Out any Kids Day Camps

2. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans to Keep Your House Cooler

3. Trim Down on any Memberships 

Cybersecurity Tips

Are you staying cyber safe? Read on for some cyber tips to take part in not just for cybersecurity month that occurs every October, but every day:

October 3, 2023

Cyber Tips on Malware/Ransomware:

1. Remember to back up your files on a regular basis; this will help protect your files from cybercriminals by making them inaccessible

2. Using a secure network gives you the extra protection you need; using an un-secured Wi-Fi network can open you up to cybercriminals

3. Never pay the ransom. If you suspect you've become a victim to a ransomware attack, contact your IT team immediately. Paying the ransom doesn't guarantee you anything

October 6, 2023

Cyber Tips on Phishing:

1. As phishing is still the most common attack, remember to think before you click

2. Check to see if there is an urgency within the email, who it came from and what time the email was sent, see if there are any attachments, and hover to discover over any links within the body of the email

3. If your organization uses PAB (Phish Alert Button), use it to report suspicious emails to your IT department; and if you don't use PAB, still report any suspicious emails to your IT department

October 10, 2023

Cyber Tips on QR Codes:

1. Stay alert and be cautious of the QR codes you're scanning

2. With the rise of the QR code scams, you'll want to know the origin of the QR code

3. If you're not sure whether or not to use a QR code, check out their website or ask for the physical items to look at that information instead

October 13, 2023

Cyber Tips on Passwords:

1. Using a password manager to store all of your passwords and to help generate new passwords to each website/app when it's time to change your passwords

2. Use passphrases that would be hard to guess when creating a password

3. Don't share your passwords with anyone!

October 17, 2023

Cyber Tips on Social Media Oversharing:

1. Oversharing on social media can make you an easy target for cybercriminals to gather data

2. Don't use the same password for work as you would for personal accounts

3. Keep your personal and work business separate

October 20, 2023

Cyber Tips on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):

1. Enabling 2FA gives you a sense of protection because your data cannot be accessed without proper identity verification

2. 2FA includes hardware and software tokens (physical device/authenticator app), biometric 2FA (face/fingerprint), push notifications, email notifications, SMS text messages, and phone calls 

October 24, 2023

Cyber Tips on Devices:

1. Keeping your devices up to date will help protect against new cyber threats. Outdated software is an easy target for cybercriminals!

Holiday Tips

Are you staying safe this holiday season? Check out some holiday tips below on how you can protect yourself this holiday season!

November 29, 2023

Holiday Tips on Gift Card Scams:

• Gift Cards make great presents with the holidays coming up!

• Always keep your receipt for any gift card you buy, register the gift card or use the gift card as soon as possible and/or consider buying an e-gift card as this would go directly to the recipient you're buying it for.

• Remember: Fraudsters are the ones who ask for gift cards as a form of payment; we would never tell you to buy a gift card to pay us and neither would any other business!

• Things to watch out for could be fraudsters specifying what gift cards to buy, how many, and from where.

December 6, 2023

Holiday Tips on Charity Scams:

• As it is that time of year, there are always charities going around asking for donations.

• With the holidays, there is an up-tick in fake charity scams that make their way around tricking people into donating money to what they thought was a legitimate charity.

• A reminder: check and verify the charity is legitimate through their website, verify their phone numbers, and verify their contact information.

• You can also verify the charity is legitimate by checking to see if they are a registered charity.

December 13, 2023

Holiday Tips on Phone Number Spoofing:

• If you receive a call from a number that you recognize, but are not familiar with who is on the other end of the line; hang up and dial the correct number to verify if that person had called or not.

• With the holidays coming, there are a lot of scams that can happen with phone number spoofing (an attempt to trick someone into giving personal information out)

December 20, 2023

Holiday Tips on Missed Delivery Notifications:

• With the holiday season upon us, we're all shopping a little more online to find those perfect holiday gifts.

• As your items are being delivered, you may receive a missed delivery notification stating the driver was not able to deliver a certain package.

• Remember to track your items through the tracking number provided, and if an item wasn't delivered, reach out through the correct method for solving the issue.

December 27, 2023

Holiday Tips on Holiday Phishing Emails:

• As phishing is still the most common attack, remember to think before you click. You shouldn't open any emails you're not expecting.

• Check to see if there is any urgency within the email or subject line, who the email came from, and at what time the email was sent to you.

• Check to see if there are any attachments or any links within the body of the email.

• If you received a holiday themed email and it sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is!

• Remember to report any suspicious emails to your IT department.

January 3, 2024

Holiday Tips on Holiday QR Codes:

• Remember to stay alert and be cautious of any QR codes that you're scanning.

• If at all possible, you should know where the QR code originated from that you're scanning. Knowing where it originated from could help save you from any potential scams that may happen.

• If you're on the fence about scanning QR codes, be sure to check out any websites by directly typing the URL into your browser or ask to look at any physical items associated with the QR code.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Peoples State Bank at 1-877-861-2520 or email us at cebpsb@psbup.com.