To further safeguard your account details and personal information, we recommend following the steps below.

Password Safety

Your Internet Banking is protected by a password you choose. New Internet Banking customers will be given a temporary password that they can change on their first login.

Tips to remember when creating your password:

  • Never use personal information such as your first or last name, address or phone number
  • Never use consecutive numbers (eg. 123456) or repeated characters
  • Never use your date of birth or any other account holder's
  • It must be at least eight characters long but no longer than 15 characters
  • It must include at least one of the following: a capital letter, a lowercase letter, a number and a special character (eg. ! # . $)
  • Remember to keep your password safe. Do not write it down or disclose your password to anyone.
  • MyState Bank staff members will never ask you to disclose your confidential PIN, Internet Banking password or phone banking access code over the phone, by email or in person. If someone contacts you asking for these details, do not provide them – they are very likely a scammer.
  • Change your passwords at least every six months, or anytime you suspect your password has been compromised.

To change your password, log in to Internet Banking, select Manage Security and follow the prompts.

If you make three incorrect attempts to enter your username or password you’ll be locked out of your account and you’ll need to call us on 138 001 or visit your nearest branch.

Two-factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security that double checks you are the person you’re claiming to be when you log into online accounts such as Internet Banking.

When you log into an online account with a username and password, you’re using one thing to verify who you are. This is called single factor authentication. With Two-factor authentication you are required to provide two things – your password and a unique code sent to your mobile device.

How does it work?

We encourage our customers to upgrade their Internet Banking security by linking their mobile phone number with their Internet Banking account allowing us to use Two-factor authentication.

When you try to make some kinds of Internet Banking transactions – for example, transferring funds to someone new – you will be asked to enter a secure code to authenticate the transaction. This one-off secure code will be sent to your mobile phone as a text message and you’ll enter the code into Internet Banking to authenticate the transaction.

By using the SMS Security code to authenticate your transaction you eliminate the risk of someone accessing your account and transferring money if they manage to log in to your account.

Important: If we send you an SMS and you haven’t initiated a payment, contact us immediately on 138 001.

You can upgrade to Two-factor authentication by calling our Customer Care team on 138 001, visiting your nearest branch or logging in to Internet Banking and sending us a secure mail message.

Protect your computer

While browsing the internet on your computer, it’s important to protect yourself from viruses and other malicious attacks.

Your best defense against viruses, worms and trojans is to install antivirus software and ensure you keep it up-to-date.

Antivirus programs are easy to install and can be purchased online and downloaded straight to your computer or mobile device. Alternatively, you can purchase disks in store that contain antivirus software. Consult your local seller for help if you're unsure of a good antivirus software package to use and follow these five steps:

  1. Once installed, turn on automatic updates to maximise your computers protection against new viruses.
  2. Scan all the files on your computer periodically including incoming and outgoing emails.
  3. Allow a regular scan of your computer or mobile device using antivirus and anti-spyware software. Follow the instructions from your software provider to do this.
  4. Consider using a SPAM filtering product which will help block fake or virus-related emails.
  5. Make sure your computer’s operating system is up to date by ensuring automatic updates are switched on and any updates are installed when they become available.

Types of security threats

Virus
A computer virus is a program that attaches itself to another program, but changes the action of that program which allows the virus to spread. Viruses range from harmless annoying pranks, to programs that can destroy a computer.
Trojans
A Trojan Horse is disguised as harmless programs, such as a game or a screen saver, but in fact allows an intruder to take control of your computer without you knowing. Once in your computer, viruses can do anything the virus creator programmed them to do – like wipe the contents of your hard-drive, make your computer run slowly or forward the virus to all the contacts in your address book via email.
Worms
A computer worm is a type of malware that spreads copies of itself from computer to computer. A worm can replicate itself without any human interaction and does not need to attach itself to a software program to be able to cause damage.

Do not access Internet Banking if you are concerned that your computer may be infected with a virus, worm or Trojan Horse.

Firewall protection

To further protect your computer from internet threats, we recommend installing personal firewall software. A firewall is one of the best methods of protecting your computer from internet threats. A firewall acts as a gatekeeper between your computer and the internet and helps to better protect your computer from offensive websites, spam and unauthenticated logins from potential hackers.

For more specific information about how to protect your computer or mobile device, please visit the Microsoft® Safety & Security site or the Apple® Product Security site.

Keep your browser and operating system up-to-date

Along with installing antivirus software and installing a personal firewall, ensure your computer operating software is up to date by always installing the free updates, such as those from Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac when they are released. As well as providing regular security fixes, these updates often include software improvements, bug-fixes and new features that will make your computer run better overall.

For security purposes, MyState Bank’s Internet Banking service does not support older web browsers. To use this service, we recommend wherever possible that you use the latest version of one of the following web browsers:

  • Internet Explorer 11 or higher
  • Google Chrome 45 or higher
  • Safari 6 or higher
  • Firefox 35 or higher
  • Opera 31 or higher

Supported mobile devices include:

  • Android phone and tablet (dependant on device), operating Jellybean or higher
  • iPhone 5 or higher operating iOS8 or higher
  • iPad Generation 2 or higher operating iOS8 or higher

Other helpful tips to look out for:

  • Look for the padlock symbol in the URL bar. A closed padlock symbol displayed in your browser confirms that your Internet Banking session is encrypted. You can click on this padlock to view details of the digital signature.
  • Look for the ‘s’ prefix. The ‘https’ prefix, as opposed to the regular ‘http’ prefix in the website URL, indicates a secure connection. This means that the details you enter into the website, such as your customer number and password, will be encrypted and more secure. You can use this tip for any website that you visit where you are entering your secure access details.
  • Always access Internet Banking via our official website or mobile apps. We will never send you a link via email to access your accounts.
  • Always check login times and dates; if you see any inconsistencies tell us immediately.

Keeping your card safe

Always take steps to ensure your Visa Debit or rediCARD are secure to protect yourself from unauthorised card access.

  • Never lend your card to anyone or disclose your PIN.
  • Never give your card number to cold callers asking for card details over the phone.
  • Never keep your PIN in an obvious place.
  • Choose a unique PIN and don’t reuse old or existing PINs.
  • Make note of when new and replacement cards may arrive. Call us if they don’t arrive on time.

More tips for keeping your money safe