USAA Adds Security Zone Stamp to Help Against Phising Attacks

Online bank USAA has added a new feature to its email correspondence with its bank customers. The stamp will be located in the upper right corner of every email and identify your first name, last name and last 4 of your account number to help you determine if an email was legitimately sent from the sender and is not a hoax trying to glean your information or passwords. The stamp looks like the image shown below:

I applaud any bank for continuing to improve Online Security, even with small changes. USAA states that all bank emails will carry this stamp by August. Adding the stamp makes it harder for the less sophisticated Phisher to succeed which seems to be the intent. While the more sophisticated hackers can easily duplicate this stamp. This would require a targeted attack with a hacker discovering the last 4 of your acct number which they could get by getting access to one of these emails.

Given the recent breaches such as the major email provider Epsilon it is certain possible. This seems like the perfect time to remind online users of the basic security rules regarding potential Phising emails.

1. Cardinal Rule: Never click on a link from an unsolicited email. If for example USAA sends you an email, you know that you can simply go to USAA.com directly or through an existing bookmark.

2. Remember that a bank or financial institution will never call, email or contact you to ask for your password or other authentication credentials.

3. Keep Your Antivirus Software Up To Date

4. Use Anti-Spyware software

5. Keep your operating system, Internet browser up to date. If you are still using IE6 you are asking to be hacked.

6. Use a personal firewall on your computer

7. Do not use public computers for sensitive transactions, computers that are shared by kids who may infect your system with spyware. When in doubt mobile devices are a good option.

There are other measures that can be taken but these basics are a good start.

Learn more about phising at this government site