Independent Banker - April 2021 - 79

to hackers. " For example, we
emphasize how prevalent cybercrimes
are now and how sophisticated
cybercriminals have become, " she
says. " We also point out the damage
cyberattacks can have on businesses,
from loss of system availability to
reputational damage. "
account and routing and transit
Learning to combat fraud
A data breach or fraud can hit a
company's bottom line at a time
when it can least afford it. That's why
Tompkins VIST Bank educates its
customers on straightforward ways
businesses can prevent fraud, such as
frequent system updates, multifactor
authentication and regular
password changes.
It's also an opportunity for
the community bank to connect
customers with value-added services
that may prevent or catch fraud.
" We take the opportunity to discuss
some of the services we offer, " Barron
says, " such as Positive Pay, [a cash
management service that] can help to
monitor online fraud. "
The community bank's customers
are interested in a variety of topics,
but there are three that have been of
particular interest to them.
One of these is email security
and phishing, particularly " spear
phishing, " a type of targeted phishing
involving emails designed to trick
a specific victim. " We stress that
this is where our customers are
most vulnerable from a wire fraud
perspective, " Barron says.
Participants have also been
interested in new ways of doing
business that require remote
accessibility, which presents some
security risks.
" We emphasize that, without
proper precautions, remote access
can heighten the opportunity for
cyberattacks, which can take down
critical systems, " Barron says.
numbers to do damage.
" We emphasize that the best
preventive measure is to restrict
access to the business checking
account and routing transit
information to those who need
to know, " she says, adding that
it's important to clear one's web
browser cache before each online
banking session, keep an ACH limit
to a minimum acceptable level and
consistently monitor bank accounts.
" For us, the
benefits [of hosting
cybersecurity
webinars] are that
we are helping
customers keep
their systems secure
and protect their
businesses at a very
crucial time. "
-PAULA BARRON,
TOMPKINS VIST BANK
Valuable education and services
Tompkins VIST Bank offers other
cybersecurity initiatives, too. It's
currently planning programming to
educate its business customers about
the financial effects of the pandemic
on the region.
" Payment fraud related to
businesses' online payment systems
now exceeds $40 billion a year, "
Barron says, adding that the
community bank's Positive Pay service
can guard against some of these fraud
scams, including online mailbox theft
and check copying.
The service works by allowing
businesses to monitor checks and
ACH debits processed for payment
against their account and to reject
unauthorized transactions before
losses occur.
" The risks are real and can include
unwanted legal fees, customer
reputation issues, loss of system
availability, and, most critically,
business health and sustainability. "
The third relates to ACH, or
automated clearing house, processing.
" Since COVID began, we've noted
a huge increase in businesses using
[ACH] processing for things like
direct deposit of payroll and corporate
payments, " Barron says. As a result,
Tompkins VIST Bank is seeing a rise
in ACH fraud, because the fraudster
only needs the business checking
These services and the webinars
have clear benefits of preventing
fraud-a boon for both the customer
and Tompkins VIST Bank-as well
as providing peace of mind during a
tumultuous time. Webinar attendees
have appreciated the information.
" The response has been
overwhelmingly positive, " Barron
says. " For us, the benefits are that
we are helping customers keep their
systems secure and protect their
businesses at a very crucial time. " 
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org Q 79
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Independent Banker - April 2021

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