We take financial security and confidentiality very seriously at North Shore Bank. Please read more about our various security precautions below. These security precautions apply to Online Banking and Bill Pay services, in addition to any secure applications on our website.
Online Banking Security
Your Online Banking user ID and password are encrypted at the moment the "Log In" button is pressed. Once you are in the Online Banking section of our website, you will notice a small padlock icon in the lower right hand status bar of your Internet browser. This indicates that the section that you are viewing is secure. To ensure that the connection that you are viewing is secure, it is good practice to click on the padlock icon, and verify that the URL on the certificate matches the URL of the site/page you are viewing.
Account Number Masking
To make sure your personal information stays personal, your account numbers are masked in Online Banking. This feature only displays the last 4 digits of any account number you may be viewing. This is helpful if you check your account balances in public areas, such as an Internet cafe or a library.
To allow you to remember what specific account you are looking at, we have provided the ability to "nickname" your accounts. This can be accessed by, first
logging into your account and then selecting the "Change Nicknames" item from the "Options" button at the upper right side of your screen.
Cryptography
North Shore Bank's secure financial applications use public key cryptography, which is similar to the safe deposit dual-key system. A message can be encrypted by the user's shared public key and decrypted by the individual's corresponding private key. This eliminates the problem of "trusting" communication channels and permits the customer and bank to share secret information. Public Key Cryptography can be used for both encryption and authentication. This allows you to connect securely and privately.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of transforming data into a form called cyphertext, which is unreadable to anyone except those who possess the decryption key. Encryption uses a mathematical formula to decrypt data. Because 256-bit encryption is used, there are trillions of possible combinations, making it impossible to duplicate the key. A certain key (a unique number) can only decrypt messages.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
The SSL protocol is intended to protect the privacy of your information. This proven security software encrypts information before it is transmitted through the Internet to prevent information from being recognized or altered while en route.
You'll know you're in a secure environment by noting the URL address, which uses an "https://" instead of the usual "http://" command. There is also a solid "lock" icon that is displayed in the address bar of most Web browsers. To ensure proper security, all Internet browsers should use 128-bit or 256-bit SSL security.
Certificates
Another part of ensuring a secure session is done through the use of Certificates ... it's similar to how a driver's license is used as proof of ID. Certificates help prevent a person from using a phony key to impersonate someone else and are used to make you aware of the use of Public Key Encryption. Certificates contain a public key, expiration date, the name of the certifying authority, a serial number and other information. Most importantly, the certificate contains the digital signature of the issuer for authentication. Certificates are issued by a third party. You can view our certificate information in most web browsers by clicking on the padlock graphic on the left side of a browser's address bar.
Passwords
This section only applies to Web pages on our website that require the use of passwords. Your password is your first line of defense against unwanted access to your accounts. Please memorize your password and store it in a safe place. Make sure that no one watches as you enter your password. Also, be aware that your access ID/username and password can remain in your browser's cache, and anyone could gain access to your account if your browser were left unattended. For that reason, we recommend you always use the "Logout" command to leave Online Banking and the "Sign out" command to leave Bill Pay and close out your browser once you've completed your session. You can also change your password anytime and should do so often by clicking on the "Change Password" button in Online Banking. In Bill Pay, you can change your password by clicking on "My Profile," then on the "Change" button.
We strongly recommend that you change your passwords on a regular basis, do not select repeating numbers or letters for your password and that you select a password that is easy for you to remember but difficult for someone else to figure out.
Notify us immediately if you feel that your password has been compromised, please contact
Customer Support at 877-672-2265, or visit one of our branch offices.
Secure Website Server/Virtual Vault
This section only applies to our Online Banking service. Our secure server, also known as the Virtual Vault, was designed for the sole purpose of being a Web server. It protects customer data, prevents the passing of viruses, and performs an audit trail to track the flow of all activity.
Data never goes all the way through the account database in an uninterrupted stream. Data will be transferred on behalf of the customer to the other side of the vault. The information cannot be handed over directly. The Virtual Vault is a trusted operating system to host the secure Web server. Only approved applications, such as Online Banking, are allowed to transfer from one side to another.
Firewall
A firewall is a series of hardware and software-based security measures that limit outside access to a server or network. A firewall is a system between a corporate network and the Internet that provides a shield from the outside. Most corporate users "sit behind a firewall," which limits the types of services allowed with proxies. The proxy acts like a messenger delivering only secure packages on your behalf.
Cookies
Cookies are small bits of data added to your Web browser by our server that are required for use while on our website. If you have adjusted your Web browser settings to prevent cookies, you will need to change it back to allow cookies. Our policy is to use cookies when required.