Customer Data Security

Frequently asked questions

• My data has been breached and I’m concerned about my Bank First accounts?

  Bank First systems have NOT been compromised. Your data retained by our bank is secure.

• I have been notified by another Organisation my data has been compromised. Should I change my Bank First internet password?

  It’s worth checking to see if you have written your password into an email or if you have used the same password for other sites. If you have, then yes, we definitely recommend changing your Bank First Internet Banking password. You can change your Internet Banking password here.

  To help make sure you have a strong password protecting your Bank First account, consider the following tips:

  • It’s best practice to change passwords regularly – we recommend every 90 days.

  • Never use your name, child’s name, home address, birthday or anything that is easily identified to you.

  • Never use your name, children’s name, home address, birthday or anything that is easily identified to you.

  • Don’t use the same password for every online account. If you have the same password for every account, the hacker only needs to correctly guess one password to access tall your online accounts.

   

• How do I know if I have two-factor authorisation?

  Two-factor authorisation is automatically applied to all Bank First Internet Banking accounts upon opening. If you have specifically requested this function to be turned off in the past, contact us to have this reinstated.  

  Two factor authentication will be triggered when you login to your Internet Banking using your private password to make changes to your personal contact details or add a new payee. A unique code is sent to your phone and you can only confirm any changes to your personal contact details or add a new payee upon entering this code.

  This means that even if a hacker has your password, they cannot change any personal details (e.g. your phone number) or add a new payee without having the unique code (which is only sent to the phone number you have in your personal contact details).

• There are transactions on my account which I don't recognise. What should I do?

  Immediately put a lock on your card. You can do this via our Mobile Banking app:

  1. Login to the Mobile Banking App

  2. Select Cards

  3. Swipe to find your Card

  4. Tap on Lock Card

  5. A success message will appear confirming your card will be locked from all purchases and withdrawals.

  If you wish to dispute a transaction on your Bank First Visa Card, please complete a Visa Transaction Dispute Form. If you need help to do this, please contact us.

• Is Internet Banking safe? Should I close my online accounts?

  Internet Banking is safe.

  Your accounts will have two factor authentication (provided you have not requested for this to be turned off) which increases your security.

  As a result of data breaches at other organisations, we have increased monitoring of certain types of transactions. We also encourage you to be vigilant and to continue to monitor your accounts and be alert to any transactions you don’t recognise.

• What else can I do to protect my account?

  Contact us to add an extra identification password to your account. This is an additional security step where you will be asked an additional identification question unique to you when you contact us via phone or branch.

  Monitor your accounts regularly, and let us know if there are transactions you don’t recognise.

  Extra card security is available in internet banking and the app – if you’re concerned about transactions, or have misplaced your card, you can stop or lock your card temporarily. You can also change your PIN if you are concerned that it has been compromised.

  If your email address has been compromised as a result of a data breach at another organisation, we suggest changing it. Your name and address are difficult to change easily, whereas your email address can be changed quickly. Remember to let us know via Internet Banking of your new email address to ensure your contact details are up-to-date:

  1. Login to Internet Banking > select Maintenance.

  2. Select Update Contact Details.

  3. An SMS one-time password is sent to your mobile phone for security purposes.

   

• What other precautions should I take?

  Keep an eye on your bank accounts, credit card statements and social media accounts.

  Hackers can use your information to guess passwords, so it is important to ensure you have a strong password. They may also try your email address as a username for online accounts, so consider updating your username for online accounts where applicable.

  Have different passwords for all of your online accounts. If you have the same password for every account, the hacker only needs to correctly guess one password for access to all of your online accounts.

  Never respond to, or click on, hyperlinks in emails from email addresses that you don't recognise or were not expecting.

  Never click on links in text messages from numbers you don't recognise or were not expecting.