Privacy & Security

Information Requests

Texas First Bank will NEVER ask you to provide, verify, or update personal account information via email, text message, or an unsecured website. If you receive a request like this, especially if it’s unsolicited, DO NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION. Instead, contact a Customer Support Representative immediately at (409) 978-2250 during business hours or via our Report Suspicious Activity form.

NOTE: Texas First Bank does provide a “secure messaging” feature within 24/7 Online Banking which can be used to communicate personal account information in a secure manner.

Online Banking

Texas First Bank uses the latest technology in data encryption. This creates barriers between systems that can only be crossed with authorized passwords. Multiple layers of advanced security tools including cryptography, firewalls, and trusted operating systems are used to prevent tampering and ensure the privacy of your account information. When logging in to Online Banking, check the URL. Make sure that you are logging in via texasfirst.bank to ensure you’re giving your information to Texas First Bank, and not a scammer.

Risk Assessments

Texas First Bank suggests that all commercial online banking customers perform a risk assessment and controls evaluation at least annually. Please contact your banking center representative for more information.

Passwords

Do not write down or allow Windows to remember your passwords. This could expose your account to unauthorized access. Create strong passwords that meet the following criteria:

• Are at least eight alphanumeric characters long
  Contain both upper and lower case characters (e.g., a-z, A-Z)
• Have digits and punctuation characters as well as letters e.g., 0-9, !@#$%^&*()_+|~-=\`{}[]:”;'<>?,./)
• Are not words in any language, slang, dialect, jargon, etc.
• Are not based on personal information, names of family, etc.

Examples of poor, weak passwords that should not be used include:

• The password contains less than eight characters
  The password is a word found in a dictionary (English or foreign)
• The password is a common usage word such as:
  Names of family, pets, friends, co-workers, fantasy characters, etc.
• The words “TexasFirstBank”, “TFB” or any derivation.
  Birthdays and other personal information such as addresses and phone numbers.
• Word or number patterns like aaabbb, qwerty, zyxwvuts, 123321, etc.
• Any of the above spelled backwards.
• Any of the above preceded or followed by a digit (e.g., secret1, 1secret)

Account Alerts

Set up account alerts to watch for suspicious activity on your accounts using SecurLOCK™ Equip and/or within your Online Banking.

SecurLOCK Equip

Download the SecurLOCK Equip app to your smart device and set up immediate transaction alerts on your phone. You can also set spending limits and temporarily lock your card from the app. Learn more about SecurLOCK Equip here.

Online Banking

In Online Banking, under Settings > Alerts, you can set up alerts that will email or text you when your account experiences activity, such as unusual spending, failed login attempts, balance information, and suspicious activity. Messages will be sent to you by email or text message.

Corporate Account Enhancements

Corporate accounts can make logins even more secure by enabling one of our enhanced authentication methods. Contact (409) 978-2250 or your nearest banking center to discuss any of the solutions in detail.

• VeriSign Tokens – Dual authorization through different access devices & account privileges
  Native out of band transaction authorization
• Positive Pay – protect against check fraud and fraudulent ACH transactions
• The use of entitlements to determine access rights including maintenance

What can I do to stay safe online?

Your computer can be a goldmine of personal information to an identity thief. Here’s how you can safeguard your computer and the personal information it stores:

• Update your virus protection software regularly. Computer viruses can have damaging effects, including introducing program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information. Look for security repairs and patches you can download from your operating system’s website.
• Don’t download files from strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don’t know.
• Use a firewall, especially if you have a high-speed or “always on” connection to the internet. The firewall allows you to limit uninvited access to your computer.
• Use a secure browser—software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet–to guard the safety of your online transactions. When you’re submitting information, look for the “lock” icon on the status bar. It’s a symbol that your information is secure during transmission.
• Download the latest web browser. With the latest web browsers, you can surf the web with confidence knowing you’ve got the latest security updates, and enjoy a faster and better experience with the new browser features. The Texas First Bank website and Online Banking portal are supported on: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari.
• Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a “strong” password; that is, a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols.
• Avoid using an automatic login feature that saves your username and password, and always log off when you’re finished. If your laptop gets stolen, the thief will have a hard time accessing sensitive information.
• Delete any personal information stored on your computer before you dispose of it. Use a “wipe” utility program, which overwrites the entire hard drive and makes the files unrecoverable.
• Read website privacy policies. They should answer questions about the access to and accuracy, security, and control of personal information the site collects, as well as how sensitive information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties.
• A “cookie” is a small file that our website uses to enhance your online banking experience. No personal information or passwords are ever stored in this file. Read our Online Privacy Statement for more information on how we handle and store data.

Protect Your Mobile Devices

Just like your personal computer, your mobile device needs attention to ensure your information is safe and secure. Take the following actions to secure your mobile devices.

Updates

Keep your mobile device OS and applications up-to-date. For an iPhone® or iPad®, use iTunes or the settings to check for updates. For an Android® mobile device, check your device settings for OS updates. Your device’s application store will generally keep you aware of any required application updates.

Password

If your mobile device supports a password or PIN to restrict access, you should use one. This prevents someone being able to access your device without first getting past your PIN or passcode.

Encryption

If your mobile device supports it, use encryption to protect sensitive information. Your device may also have a wipe function that can be triggered by password failures or remotely if your device is lost or stolen.

Malicious Software

You should only install trusted applications.

Device Modifications

Jailbreaking or rooting your mobile device can make it more vulnerable to malicious software and may void your warranty.
If your device is lost or stolen, immediately contact your service provider to stop service and contact Texas First Bank to disable text alerts.

Wireless Networking Security

• At Home: Use WPA2 security to protect your wireless network (and avoid the outdated WEP security option). Hide the SSID or network name of your wireless router; this prevents passersby from seeing your network.
• On the Road: Connect only to networks you trust and avoid wireless network with no security (such as WPA2). Unprotected wireless data can be intercepted and possibly used to steal your online account information

• Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you know who you’re dealing with. Identity thieves can be skilled liars and may pose as representatives of banks, internet service providers (ISPs), or even government agencies to get you to reveal identifying information. Before you divulge any personal information, confirm that you’re dealing with a legitimate representative of a legitimate organization. Double-check by calling customer service using the number on your account statement or in the telephone book.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them for any unauthorized charges.
• Guard your mail and trash against theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office instead of an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to ask for a vacation hold. To thwart a thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications or offers, insurance forms, physician statements, checks, bank statements, and expired charge cards.
• Before revealing any identifying information (for example, on an application), ask how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Find out if you have a say in the use of your information. For example, can you choose to have it kept confidential?
• Keep your Social Security card in a secure place and give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible. If your state uses your SSN as your driver’s license number, ask to substitute another number.
• Limit the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you carry to what you’ll actually need.
• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.