SECURITY

Northland Financial understands that your trust in us depends on how well we 
keep your personal, business and account information secure. Our Customer 
Information Security Policy is comprehensive, proactive and designed to ensure 
that information about you is secure whether you bank with us at our main location, 
at our ATMs, or by telephone or Internet.

We will continually update and improve our security standards to help protect 
against unauthorized access to our confidential information. We will maintain 
physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards 
to guard customers' information.

At Northland Financial the safety of our customers comes first! We are honored to 
be your bank.

ATM Security

ATM's are very popular as a way to receive cash quickly in our fast-paced society. 
With one located on every corner, we need to protect ourselves from predators that 
may be out to claim our money, identity or safety. The following tips can help:

Take Someone With:

• Being alone sets a tone of vulnerability. Bring someone else 
  along - there is safety in numbers.
  
  

Check the Lighting and Surrounding Area:

• Use extra caution at night and make sure that all of the lights 
  surrounding the ATM are working.
• Check if shrubbery covers or blocks the view around the ATM
• Always read the message on the main screen of the machine.
• If you do not feel comfortable with the lighting or surrounding area 
  or if the ATM is malfunctioning, notify the bank and select a different 
  ATM.
  
  

Secure Your Vehicle:

• If leaving your vehicle to walk to the ATM, turn off the ignition and 
  lock the doors.
• If driving up to the ATM, lock the passenger windows and vehicle 
  doors.
  
  

Arrive Prepared:

• Never pull your ATM card out of your purse or wallet when you arrive 
  at the ATM. Come prepared with your card in hand.
  
  

Privacy is Key:

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Use common courtesy by not standing too close to the person ahead 
  of you in line.
• Use your body to cover the keypad and screen while entering your PIN 
  number. Make sure that no one can see what you are entering.
  
  

Be Responsible With Your Card and PIN:

• Treat your card like it is cash
• Never write down your PIN number or give it to anyone, including those 
  that you know. (Most ATM fraud is committed by individuals who know 
  the victim.)
• Report your card lost or stolen immediately.
• Never use numbers that are easy to identify.
  
  

Watch for "Skimmers":

• If a machine claims to clean, re-magnetize or renew your card, do not 
  use it. This machine could be used to copy identifying iformation from 
  the magnetic strip.
  
  

Always Take Receipts:

• Take the receipt even if a transaction is incomplete. Receipts left behind 
  or thrown away can lead to account hijacking and identity theft.
  
  

Wait to Count Cash:

• Put your money away immediately after your transaction is complete
• Leave the ATM premises quickly
• Count your money at a safe setting.
  
  

Credit Card and Check Card Security

As our customer, we care about you and the accounts you have with us. When we
become aware of information that may help you avoid becoming a victim of any number 
of scams, we're committed to sharing it with you. 

Precautions to take:

• Always look at your credit card or check card after a purchase, even if it is only in someone else's 
  hand for a short time

Report lost or stolen cards:

• Report a lost or stolen cash card or cash and check card:
  
  • During Bank Hours
    Call the phone number of a Northland Financial location near you
  • After Bank Hours
    Call Instant Cash Services at 1-800-535-8440
    
• Report a lost or stolen credit card:
  • Call Card Services at 1-800-883-0131 to report a lost or stolen 
    Visa Platinum Card obtained through Northland Financial. This 
    number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Website Security

In order to protect the information being gathered, this site has security measures 
in place including firewalls, encryption, and authenticated access to internal 
databases where needed.

We provide Internet access to your banking accounts through highly secure, password-protected 
systems that are guarded by firewalls and monitoring systems. Your financial information is 
protected by 128-bit encryption as it travels between our servers and your computer.

Look for security certificates, locked padlock symbols and the https: designation as indications 
of our commitment to your online security.

Multi-factor Authentication and Layered Security

Northland Financial uses multi-factor authentication and layered security to make you safer than 
ever before from identity theft. Today's authentication methods--used to confirm that it is you, and 
not someone who has stolen your identity--involve one or more basic factors:

• Something the user knows (password or PIN)
• Something the user has (ATM card or similar item)
• Something the user is (biometric characteristic, such as a fingerprint)

Single-factor authentication uses one of these methods; multi-factor authentication uses more than one, 
and thus is considered to be a more reliable and stronger fraud deterrent. When you use your ATM, you 
are using multi-factor authentication: Factor number one is something you have, your ATM card; factor 
number two is something you know, your PIN.

Northland Financial's goal is to ensure that the level of authentication used in a particular transaction is 
appropriate to the level of risk in that application. Accordingly, we have concluded an assessment of our 
current methods following federal regulatory guidelines and have implemented the appropriate 
authentication measures to keep your online transactions safe and secure.

In addition to multi-factor authentication, we may also rely on layers of control to assure your Internet safety. 
These might include:

• Additional controls, such as call-back verification
• Employing customer verification procedures, especially when opening accounts
• Analyzing banking transactions to identify suspicious patterns
• Establishing dollar limits that require manual intervention to exceed a preset limit.

One of our top priorities is to assure your safety and security when conducting online financial business.

Customer Awareness

Understanding the risks is a critical step in protecting yourself online. Here are some threats to watch for:

• Phishing

Lures you to a fake website (one that looks like a trusted financial institution) and tricks you into 
providing personal information, such as account numbers and passwords.

• Spear Phishing

Convinces victim to click a link from within an email which triggers a download of the Prg Banking 
Trojan allowing the hacker to piggyback into an online banking session with it's victim.

• Pharming

Similar to phishing, pharming seeks to obtain personal information by directing you to a copycat 
website where your information is stolen, usually from a legitimate-looking form.

• Malware

Short for malicious software, often included in spam e-mails, this can take control of your computer 
without your knowledge and forward to fraudsters your personal information such as IDs, passwords, 
account numbers and PINs.

Protecting Yourself Online

• Never share your access codes with anyone.
• Change your access codes on a regular basis. If you think your access codes have been compromised, 
  change them and contact us immediately.
• Use only the secure message service provided within Online Banking when sending or requesting 
  account information.
• Consider using a personal firewall to prevent hackers from invading your personal computer, especially 
  if you are using DSL or a cable modem to access the Internet.
• Install virus protection software and scan all downloaded software, as well as all diskettes, before use. 
  Also, delete e-mails with attachments from unknown sources.
• When you are done with your transactions, always click on the Logoff button on the website to exit the 
  application and prevent further access to your account. When using a public PC (such as in a library or 
  school), also close the browser when you are finished.