Heidi WestfallHonesdale, Pa – In today’s world, passwords are so important. They are the key to keeping our personal accounts private and secure. Cyber-criminals are constantly looking for new opportunities to compromise non-public data. A strong password is the first line of defense to help keep your sensitive information secure.

Bank Administration Officer, Heidi Westfall, notes the importance of using multiple, strong passwords.

“Repeatedly using the same passwords or a weak password could leave you vulnerable. If a cyber-criminal cracks your password, they could gain access to your social media accounts, bank accounts, and other sensitive accounts that hold your confidential information.”

Heidi leads cybersecurity initiatives at Wayne Bank. She encourages customers to remain diligent when protecting their non-public information. She suggests the following six tips to keep your passwords safe:

  1. Create strong passwords: Passwords should be made up of at least eight characters, as well as numbers, special characters and upper and lowercase letters.
  2. Do not share passwords: Do not share passwords with anyone- your bank will never ask for your online banking password.
  3. Do not use the same password for multiple accounts: Specifically for your online banking password – make this unique from any other password you use.
  4. Do not use personal information in your password: This includes your name, date of birth, address or any other publically available information.
  5. Use a passphrase: Create a strong password using the first letter of each word- something that would be meaningful to you. Example – Iam:)2binFL! (Phrase-I am happy to be in Finger Lakes!)
  6. Always log off your device: If you leave your device and people are around, be sure to log off completely. Also be sure no one watches you enter your password.

Wayne Bank is a subsidiary of Norwood Financial Corp., Member FDIC, and is located in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The Bank has 30 Community Offices serving Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania, along with Delaware, Sullivan, Otsego, Ontario, and Yates Counties in New York State, including those offices operating under the Bank of Cooperstown and Bank of the Finger Lakes brands. The stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol— NWFL.

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