Security Tips

What is encryption?

Encryption is a technique used to help safeguard private information while it is sent via the Internet. To recognize that your transmission is encrypted, some browsers will display a small icon on your screen that looks like a padlock or a key, and the URL (the address or location at the top of the browser) starts with "https" instead of "http" (the extra "s"). BMO Financial Group uses 128-bit encryption, which is a very high form of encryption. In order to use our Online Banking, you must have a 128-bit encryption level browser.

What is a digital certificate?

A digital certificate is an electronic "passport" that authenticates a web site when doing business or other transactions on the Web. It is issued by a certification authority (such as Entrust and Verisign). It contains, amongst other things, the name, a serial number, expiration dates and the digital signature of the certification authority, so that a recipient can verify that the certificate is genuine. You can verify a digital certificate by clicking (or double-clicking) on the closed padlock that comes up at the bottom of the browser when doing business with a secure web site.

What is a firewall?

A firewall helps to limit online access to only those with proper authorization. Consider a firewall as a virtual wall that separates a trusted environment (such as corporate or home networks) from untrusted environment (such as the Internet) by controlling and regulating the traffic between these two environments such that the trusted environment is protected from any harmful activity (such as viruses, worms or intrusion attacks) initiated on the untrusted side.

What is a personal firewall?

A personal firewall (sometimes called a desktop firewall) is a software application used to help protect a single Internet-connected computer from intruders. Personal firewall protection is useful for users with "always-on" connections such as DSL, cable modem or dial-up connections. Often compared to anti-virus applications, personal firewalls work in the background, to help protect the integrity of the system from unauthorized access by controlling Internet connections to and from a user's computer, filtering inbound and outbound traffic, and alerting the user to attempted intrusions.

How to choose a strong password?

DO

DON'T

To clear your cache

If you are using any version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0:


If you are using Firefox:
For users of other browsers, please refer to your browser's documentation on memory/disk caching.

Where to report fraud on credit and debit cards

BMO: 1 800 555-3000
PhoneBusters (a Canadian national call centre)
Toll Free: 1 888 495-8501
Toll Free Fax: 1 888 654-9426
And/or to the Canadian credit bureaus:
Equifax: 1 800 465-7166
Trans Union Canada: 1 877 525-3823; Quebec residents 1 877 713-3393