Safe Browsing

Wealth One Bank of Canada recommends that its clients consider the suggestions referred to below when banking with us.

Your Operating System (OS)

Your computer's operating system needs to be up-to-date in order to defend itself from viruses and malicious software (malware). If one part of your operating system develops a virus, it leaves vulnerabilities in your device's security defences and compromises the safety of the information contained on your computer or device. This is one of the most important ways to stay safe online.

Hackers are constantly targeting operating systems with new viruses and software companies combat these efforts with security patches. You should always download the latest security patch as soon as it becomes available.

Your operating system will notify you that there are new security features to download. You can also upgrade your operating system to the latest version available from the manufacturer; however, ensure your computer has sufficient hardware capacity to support an upgrade.

Remember to always back up your data. To fully eliminate a virus, re-installation of your operating system may be required. Protect yourself against permanent loss of important data by frequently backing up your files onto an external hard drive so that you will have the data should there ever have be problem with your operating system.

Creating Your Personal Access Code (PAC) and Other Passwords

New! Strong Password function for Online Banking is now in place. 

Online credentials can be onerous as they are needed for email accounts, social networking sites, online news and media and shopping websites. That's a lot of usernames and passwords – and it can be tempting to use the same combination for everything. But this makes it far too easy for hackers because once they have one password, they can access all your sites. Log-in credentials are the keys to your accounts so don't leave them around for anyone to find.

For your Online Banking, the key is your Personal Access Code (PAC). We recommend you:

• Never share your passwords with anyone – No one but you should know them.
• Don’t use your Online Banking password for anything else. Best not to re-use any passwords at any time.
• The longer, the better. Experts suggest that passwords that are at least 12 characters long, and ideally 16 are best.
• Use a phrase made up of random words and characters that’s memorable to you.
• Using a combination of letters, symbols and numbers makes your passwords tougher to crack.
• Avoid including sensitive or personal information like your birthday or pet name.
• Consider changing your PAC every ninety (90) days for optimum security.
• Don’t ignore data leak warnings. Google and Apple both alert users if a saved password on the Chrome or Safari browsers have been involved in a data breach. Take this message seriously and change your password right away.
• Use 2-Step Verification (2SV). While passwords are more secure than no protection, your data is far safer if you combine a password with multi-factor authentication. 2SV requires additional verification and can offer a second line of defense.
• Consider using a password manager. Password managers generate strong, random passwords and remember them for you when you’re logging into an account, so you don’t have to. Your encrypted password database can then be accessed with just one master password or passphrase, which means you’ll just have to remember one. That’s a lot easier than keeping 150 passwords in your head!

Personal Details

When you move, it is important to notify us of your change of address. If your mailing information is not up-to-date, statements or letters that contain personal information will continue to be sent to your former address.

e-Statements

You may prefer to eliminate paper statements altogether, avoiding any possibility of mail theft. Eliminate paper documents, go electronic and be secure while doing it. Our e-Statements are a digital archive of your monthly banking activity that can be downloaded as a PDF from our secure online banking site.

Logging In and Out

When you are finished with your banking session, always log out by clicking the "Log Out" button, as opposed to simply closing the browser window. To help protect your information, your online banking session will end automatically if there has been no activity for twenty (20) minutes or if your visit lasts longer than sixty (60) minutes. If your session has timed out, no further transactions can be made until you log in again. This time-out feature helps protect your accounts from unauthorized access if your PC is left unattended or if you have forgotten to log out.

Clearing Cookies and Cache

When you spend time on the Internet, your browser stores information, such as the websites you visit, the images and files you view, and your personal information, including passwords and log-in details. Please note that our website does not retain log-in credentials within a cookie. This data is held on your computer's hard drive and is known as 'cache'. Even though you may have logged out and closed your browser, this information can remain accessible. Protect your data by clearing your browsing history regularly. This can be done in a few easy steps:

Internet Explorer Users

Click on the 'Tools' tab (or use the 'Ctrl-Shift-Delete' shortcut)

1. Select 'Delete Browsing History’
2. Choose the options you wish to erase and click 'Delete’

Firefox Users

Click on the 'History' tab (or use the 'Ctrl-Shift-Delete' shortcut)

1. Select 'Show All History' and/or
2. Choose the time frame you wish to erase and click 'Delete’

Safari Users

Click on the 'History' tab

1. Select 'Show all History’
2. Choose the period you wish to erase and click 'Clear History’

Chrome Users

Delete all your data

1. In the top-right corner of Chrome, click the Chrome menu.
2. Select More tools > Clear browsing data.
3. In the dialog that appears, select the checkboxes for the types of information that you want to remove.
4. Use the menu at the top to select the amount of data that you want to delete. Select beginning of time to delete everything.
5. Click Clear browsing data.

Note: Instead of deleting entire categories of browsing data, you can pick specific items from your browsing data to delete.

Web browsers are the gateways to the Internet. Similar to having an up-to-date operating system, upgraded browsers provide more features, stability and security. Whether you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome or something else, stay safe online by using the latest version available.

The latest versions of web browsers have security features that can identify and block harmful websites and pop-ups, and warn you if a site is flagged as unsafe. Some browsers also have a private browsing feature (see below), which conceals your browsing history from others.

We suggest you update your browser to better protect yourself from malicious content.

Private Browsing

Some web browsers have a feature that allows you to browse the Internet without the browser storing information, such as the sites you visit, the images you see and videos you watch. This feature is sometimes used by people who share the same computer. Private browsing is a temporary option and must be selected in order for it to be activated. Private browsing, however, does not give you immunity to spyware or make you anonymous. It is still possible for your Internet service provider, employer or the websites you visit to track your online activity.

Monitoring Your Accounts

Frequently reviewing your paper and/or electronic account statements and registering for our alert messages ensures that you spot any incorrect or fraudulent transactions as soon as they occur. Every time you receive an account statement, verify you made all the transactions.

Wi-Fi and Firewalls

These days, everyone is on the go and it is not uncommon to access public Wi-Fi at coffee shops, hotels, restaurants or airports. Using wireless networks to access information is convenient, but not risk-free. Public Wi-Fi hotspots may be free, but they are far from secure. Be smart when you surf. Protect yourself from threats by:

• Using only a trusted computer to access your online banking; do not use shared library or café computers.
• Managing your online banking only from secure networks; do not use unsecured public networks for anything sensitive.
• Connecting only to password-protected networks of which you know the owner. If there are several networks available, ask employees of the organization which network they operate. Avoid banking, shopping, or completing other sensitive online tasks over a public Wi-Fi network. For example, do not log on to online banking at a café.
• Never leaving your computer unattended, especially if you are logged into your online banking.
• Using different PACs and security questions as log-in credentials. If someone obtains your credentials for one site, such as a social networking site, you don't want them to be able to access your other ones.
• Ensuring you log out before you close your browsers.

In addition to taking these necessary precautions when connecting to a Wi-Fi network, your device requires a firewall to monitor your traffic. A firewall works to protect your computer (or device) and home network from harmful websites and hackers. It sits between your computer and the Internet, scanning information that is being transmitted. It allows for safe browsing, while blocking unauthorized intrusions. Even though you may think you have no information of value on your computer, firewalls also stop your computer from being used by hackers to send malicious software to other computers.

Most computers now come with a firewall as part of its standard operating system. However, you can get the maximum protection for your computer by installing additional firewalls and ensuring they are kept up-to-date.

Creating a Secure Channel

Websites can create an encrypted channel of communication to protect the user’s privacy. We create a secure channel between your browser and our server to protect your information when you use the Wealth One Bank of Canada website. Sessions are secured to a minimum of 128-bit SSL encryption, which is the financial services industry standard. Some browsers may place a padlock icon on the address bar to demonstrate that the website is using a secure connection.

Email

General email is not secure since it passes through many points on its route from you to us. If you are using general email to communicate with us, we strongly recommend that you do not include personal financial information (such as account numbers) within the email, as we cannot guarantee its confidentiality on route to us. We would like to remind you that Wealth One will never open any attachments or links you may send us through email or any other electronic forms of communication.

Banking on the Go – Protecting Your Smartphone

Browsing the web has never been easier – it's all at your fingertips. Smartphones let you surf, shop or bank wherever you are. Make sure your information stays secure while you're on the move by following these smartphone-safe browsing tips:

• Activate your mobile phone's password feature, which locks the screen and prevents anyone but you from accessing your mobile phone. Set up the password feature on your phone with a code that only you know. All banking applications require you to enter your log-in credentials whenever you wish to access your banking application as an extra layer for authentication.
• Do not connect to unknown networks through Wi-Fi hotspots to make financial transactions.
• Beware of SMiShing – that's phishing on phones through text messages. Never download media or images, or click on text-message links that come from unrecognizable people or phone numbers. Never provide personal details or any account details using any form of electronic messaging because this is not a secure form of communication. If you are unsure, please contact us. For more information on these types of fraud click here.
• Download apps exclusively from the official source for your smartphone's platform, such as the Android, Apple or BlackBerry stores. Do not trust any other source to acquire mobile applications.
• Install anti-virus software for your mobile phone when available and update it frequently.
• Install location finding applications, which work with your phone's built-in GPS. These applications allow you to locate and/or remotely erase (or "wipe") data in your phone if it is lost or stolen.

We recommend you update your smartphone's operating system as soon as newer versions are available to reduce the risk of any intrusion.