Online Safety Tips

The security of your personal financial information is Commonwealth Bank’s top priority, and we employ multi-layered industry-leading safety and security features to protect it, regardless of which ways you choose to bank with us.

To assist you in staying secure, we’ve provided information on how to protect yourself below. If you have any questions, please contact us at 617-364-6000.

Protect your computer and your mobile device:

  • Keep your computer and programs current. Having the most recent operating system, browser and security software can be the best defense.
  • Ensure your mobile device or smartphone’s operating system and apps are updated regularly.
  • If available, turn on automatic updates so your programs are updated automatically.
  • Ensure all data is removed from the hard drive before disposing of your computer or mobile device.
  • Avoid financial transactions if using a public Wi-Fi location.

Protect your online accounts:

  • Never give anyone your User ID and password by email, phone or text message. Commonwealth Bank will never request this information.
  • Use a unique, strong password for each site where you have an account.
  • Create a strong password that is at least 10 characters long. Use a phrase or sentence that is easy for you to remember and create an acronym that uses upper and lower case letters along with special characters.
  • If an email looks suspicious, delete it (even if it is from someone you know).
  • Actively monitor accounts and report any suspicious activity.

Protect your debit card:

  • Sign your card immediately.
  • Review your receipts carefully. Check receipts against your account statement to verify all of your transactions and report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
  • Be careful when giving out your card number. Commonwealth Bank will never call, email or text you requesting this information.
  • When shopping online, ensure you are on a secure site by looking for web addresses with “https://” which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information.

Protect your physical documents:

  • Store your checks and financial documents in a secure place.
  • Regularly pick up your incoming mail and report missing bills, statements, etc.
  • Destroy documents containing personal identifying information. Always use a cross-cut, diamond-cut, or confetti-cut shredder. Unlike strip-cut models in which the pieces can potentially be put back together, these shredders will produce much smaller pieces.
  • Consider receiving eStatements so your account information can be viewed securely online versus having the statement physically delivered to a mailbox from which it could be taken.