Report Lost Debit/ATM Card

To report a lost or stolen debit or ATM card after hours, please call 800-528-2273. To report a lost or stolen debit or ATM card after hours, please call 501-246-8497.

When traveling, please contact us at 800-322-8233 to update your debit card information specific to your travel area.

Wire Transfer Information

In order to receive a wire transfer into your Country Bank account, you will need to provide the following information to the originating bank:

• Your full name and mailing address (cannot be a PO Box)
• Your Country Bank account number
• Country Bank routing/ABA number: 211870980

If the originating bank requires an address for Country Bank, please use the following address:

• Country Bank
  15 South Street, Suite C
  Ware, MA  01082

Country Bank Fees:

• Domestic incoming wire fee: $10.00
• Domestic outgoing wire fee: $30.00
• Foreign incoming wire fee: $15.00
• Foreign outgoing wire fee: $50.00

Corporate Account Takeover

Corporate Account Takeover is a type of business identity theft in which a criminal entity steals a business’s valid online banking credentials. Small to mid-sized businesses remain the primary target of criminals, but any business can fall victim to these crimes. Attacks today are typically perpetrated quietly by the introduction of malware through a simple email or infected website.

What is the risk?
The Bank’s ability to protect you is severely undermined when your online credentials are compromised by a data breach initiated within your computer system. Once your computer is compromised, any action you can take from your online banking, a criminal will attempt to do fraudulently. For example: Bill Pay, ACH Transfers, Wires, copies of checks and signatures, etc. Any possible way to financially defraud you will not be overlooked by smart criminals with the intent to steal your money or personal information.

How does it happen?
Hackers often take aim at small business’ computers because they are easier to infiltrate than banks’ systems.

Examples:

• An infected document attached to an email
• A link within an email that connects to an infected website
• Employees visiting legitimate websites (especially social networking sites) and clicking on the infected documents, videos, or photos posted there
• An employee using a flash drive that was infected by another computer

Once the employee opens the attachment or goes to the website, malware is installed on the computer. In each case, fraudsters exploit the infected system to obtain security credentials that they can use to access a company’s business accounts. Once embedded, it can even seek out others within the network to gain secondary access or credentials. While up-to-date antivirus software offers substantial protection against malware, it isn’t 100% effective. According to the FBI, there is no single deterrent that is 100% effective against fraud, viruses, and malware.

Be Aware of the Danger!

• Monitor and report suspicious activity! Ongoing monitoring and timely reporting of suspicious activity are crucial to deterring or recovering from these frauds. Report log-ins at unusual times of day, new user accounts, unauthorized transfers, etc., so the Bank can immediately block the account and monitor activity.
• Be wary of distractions designed to camouflage a takeover: Robo-calls flooding your phone lines or an email “dump” flooding your inbox – both are designed to hide any automatic alerts or phone calls from the Bank.
• Country Bank will never ask you for any personal or identifying information through an email link.
• Only use the address that you have used before or start at your normal homepage, NEVER through a link.
• Look for the lock at the bottom of your browser and “https” in front of the website address.
• Take note of the header address on the website. Most legitimate sites will have a relatively short internet address that usually depicts the business followed by .com, .NET or .org. Spoof sites are more likely to have an excessively long string of characters.
• If you have any doubts about an email or website, contact the legitimate company directly. Make a copy of the questionable website’s URL address, send it to the legitimate business and ask if the address is legitimate.
• When creating your passwords, don’t use information that could easily be linked to you (i.e. phone number, your date of birth).
• Do not share your passwords or PINs with anyone or store them where they can be found.

Security Checklists

Develop and Practice Information Security Policies

• Verify that all security, scan and anti-virus software is updated and working properly on a regular basis.
• Minimize the number of computers used for various business functions.Consider conducting online banking on a dedicated computer segregated from other business functions.
• Always lock computers when unattended, especially those with administrator access.
• Utilize firewalls and routers to restrict network access.
• Ensure that programs are consistently updated through an organized patching process.
• Be aware of emerging information security threats and what measures can be taken to mitigate the risk of unauthorized intrusion.
• Distribute and know your Incident Response Plan.

Manage Access to Online Banking:

• Set specific restricted access privileges for every employee
• Do not share passwords or credentials
• Follow appropriate dual control procedures
• Create a company policy on internet usage and privacy
• Train employees on Corporate Account Takeover (annual training at a minimum)

Monitor Your Country Bank Accounts:

• Set up email alerts
• Daily account reconciliation

Train Your Employees:
Providing security awareness training to employees will help ensure employees understand the security risks related to their duties and the importance of following established security practices. At a minimum, we recommend your employee training program include:

• Password security
• Administrative controls
• Acceptable use of Internet and email systems
• Computer safeguards
• Social engineering and identity theft
• Tips to avoid phishing, spyware and malware scams
• Incident response steps

Password Safety Tips

In today’s cyber world, keeping your passwords safe from fraudsters is extremely important. You can protect yourself by practicing safe password guidelines. Here are some tips that can help:

• Use unique passwords with a combination of letters (upper and lower case), words, or phrases along with numbers and special characters.
• Do not include personal information in your passwords, such as your name, Social Security Number, phone number, or names of family members or pets.
• The longer the password the better. For a long password that’s easier to remember, use a meaningful phrase, such as a motto, passage from your favorite book, or a memorable joke.
• Have computer screens lock after a period of inactivity time and always lock your computer screen when leaving your desk.
• Never use easy to guess passwords such as “password”, your username, or adjacent letters on your keyboard (“qwerty”, “asdfzxc”, “123456”).
• Under no circumstances should you share your login credentials with anyone. Remember, Country Bank will never ask you for your login information.
• Create a different password for every online account you use. It is generally an unsafe practice to use the same password for all logins.
• Passwords should be changed on a regular basis, typically every 90 days.

Be sure to protect yourself from keystroke logging malware by keeping up-to-date malware protection software on your computers. These dangerous types of malware hide on your computer and watch each key you strike. No matter how complex your username and password may be, as soon as you start typing it in, the malware records it and a thief can log in as you.

Protecting yourself online

Though the internet has many advantages, it can also make users vulnerable to fraud, identity theft, and other scams. According to a Norton Cybercrime Report, 378 million adults worldwide were victims of cybercrime in 2013. Country Bank recommends the following tips to keep you safe online:

• Keep your Computers and Mobile Devices up to Date – Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Turn on automatic updates so you receive the newest fixes as they become available.
• Set Strong Passwords – A strong password is at least eight characters in length and includes a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Watch Out for Phishing Scams – Phishing scams use fraudulent emails and websites to trick users into disclosing private account or login information. Do not click on links or open any attachments or pop-up screens from sources you are not familiar with.
  • Forward phishing emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at spam@uce.gov – and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the email.
• Keep Personal Information Personal – Hackers can use social media profiles to figure out your passwords and answer those security questions in the password reset tools. Lock down your privacy settings and avoid posting things like birthdays, addresses, mother’s maiden name, etc. Be wary of requests to connect from people you do not know.
• Secure your Internet Connection – Always protect your home wireless network with a password. When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, be cautious about what information you are sending over it.
• Shop Safely – Before shopping online, make sure the website uses secure technology. When you are at the checkout screen, verify that the web address begins with https. Also, check to see if a tiny locked padlock symbol appears on the page.
• Read the Site’s Privacy Policies – Though long and complex, privacy policies tell you how the site protects the personal information it collects. If you don’t see or understand a site’s privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

Cybersecurity

Here are some easy ways to protect your computer systems from intrusions that could lead to loss or theft of data or software:

• Use Complex Passwords – Utilizing passwords that are a mixture of numbers, letters, and symbols works best. Avoid using dictionary words or names. It is recommended that you use a unique password for each of your sites and programs.
• Have an Anti-Virus – Install system patches and perform virus scans regularly. Even better- set your system to update automatically so you don’t have to remember.
• Beware of Social Engineering – Don’t click suspicious links or attachments received in emails. Those files or malicious websites could infect your system with malware. The same goes for any popups windows that tell you your computer is infected with a virus. By clicking on that popup, you’re actually downloading the virus.
• Back up your Data – If your systems are compromised, you’ll be glad you have your data backed up on another device or server.

For the latest internet security news and helpful videos, visit www.consumerreports.org.

Cash Management FAQs

What can I do with Cash Management?
Online banking with transfers and loan payments, bill payment, ACH, tax payments, wire transfers, account reconciliation, QuickBooks, remote deposit capture.

Are there fees for having this solution?
Please contact us at 800.322.8233 to arrange a quote from your account officer.

Are there cut off times for sending ACH & wires?
Yes, the cutoff time for each is 4:00 pm Monday through Friday (excluding Holidays.) This allows ample time for back office staff to approve and verify before end of day.

Who is allowed to do ACH and wires?
The administrator of Cash Management will provide us with the names of the authorized individuals.

How are users added to Cash Management?
The administrator of Cash Management will provide us with the names of the authorized individuals. This is done one of two ways. The form is available within our Cash Management Forms & Applications on this page or the administrator of Cash Management may contact their account officer for the documents.

What is dual control?
Dual control requires every ACH or wire transfer requested to be conducted by two authorized users: one to initiate the transfer and the other to approve the transfer.

Can I have more than two authorized users to conduct ACH or wire transfers?
Yes, you can have multiple Cash Management users. You would specify who would be authorized to initiate and/or approve ACH or wire transactions. You can have more than one initiator and more than one approver. You cannot approve your own transactions.

How far out can I date an ACH transaction?
It is recommended that you keep the dates within a seven day period.

How do I change my username?
Log into your online banking and go the Options Tab>Customer Info>the Alternate Login is your current username. Make the change in this field and click submit.

How do I change my password?
Log into your online banking and go the Options Tab>Security Settings>Change Password>create a new password>click submit.

Commercial Forms & Applications

• Online Commercial Loan Application
• Commercial Loan Application
• Personal Financial Statement
• Environmental Questionnaire
• Rent Roll Form
• Property Summary Form
• Funds Transfer Authorization
• 4506-C Form