Online Security

Your online security is our highest priority. And while we are hard at work protecting your member account and the personal information with which you have entrusted us, thieves and hackers are persistent in their efforts to develop newer and more insidious ways to break down the safeguards. As part of our commitment to your online security, we will provide our members with preemptive notification, education, and access to useful information.

Common Online Security Attacks

The following are examples of how an unauthorized user may attempt to gain access to or exploit the e-Commerce systems for personal gain:

• Phishing: a form of social engineering characterized by attempts to gain access or personal information by impersonating a legitimate organization or individual, via e-Mail, instant message, or through a website.


• Pharming: the exploitation of vulnerabilities in the DNS servers that allows a hacker to acquire the Domain Name (e.g. “mycompany.com”) for a site and to redirect traffic from that company's legitimate site to the hacker’s website.


• Viruses / Trojans: malicious software intended to intercept or take control of a computer’s operation without the user’s consent. While viruses are typically used to destroy data or harm the computer, some are fairly benign while others are designed to capture personal information and transmit it back to the hacker’s web site.


• Spyware / Keystroke loggers: Similar to viruses and trojans, although typically spyware and keystroke loggers are not self-replicating. Used for capturing personal information without the user’s knowledge.


• Identity Theft: The exploitation of a successful social engineering attack in which a person deliberately assumes the identity of another person for financial gain.

Learn how to protect yourself from Identity Theft, Online Fraud, and other computer-related scams at the Digital Defense Training Center, a free online security information resource for BFSFCU members.