At Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, we work hard to safeguard the sensitive information our customers entrust to us. Here are a few ways we do that:
Unique Username and Password
When you sign up for online banking, we ask you to create a username and password to access your accounts. This information is encrypted during sign on.
To create a strong username and password, consider using a unique phrase with a mix of letters and numbers. Avoid using any part of your email address or information shared on social media, like the name of your pet, favorite movie, or anything else that someone could easily guess. We recommend your username and password only be used for your Bar Harbor Bank & Trust account.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust customer service may request your username to authenticate you by phone, however, we’ll never ask for your password to verify your identity.
Two-factor Authentication
When you sign in to our web-based or mobile services for the first time or with a device you haven’t used before, we’ll verify that you are who you say. You’ll be asked for your username, password, and a temporary identification code, which will be sent to the phone number or email you have on file with us. Once you enter the identification code, you’ll be signed in securely into your accounts.
Suspicious Activity Monitoring
We monitor for unusual card activity on behalf of our customers. If we detect suspicious or out of pattern activity, we will make every effort to contact you and verify the activity. Remember, we will never ask you for personal information, such as your Social Security Number or mother’s maiden name, over the phone.
If we can’t reach you, a temporary block may be placed on your card for your protection. If that happens, please contact us using the information on the Fraud Protection page to confirm your account activity and restore your account access.
Encryption Technology
We use 128-bit encryption technology to protect your username, password and other personal account information when you’re using our website or apps. If you see that the barharbor.bank page you’re on has a URL starting with “https://” and a lock symbol in the browser, you’ll know your information is encrypted.
EMV Chip Technology
All Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Debit Mastercards® are equipped with EMV Chip technology to make your card more secure. When used at chip-friendly merchants, the embedded microchip provides stronger fraud protection as every transaction with a chip card has unique data in it. Chip transactions are dynamic and different each time you use the card, which helps prevent fraudsters from being able to create counterfeit chip cards.
Bar Harbor Card Control
The free1 Bar Harbor Card Control app allows you to monitor your Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Debit Mastercard® usage, turn your card on and off, set custom alerts, and more. Use Bar Harbor Card Control to protect your money and control your card, right from your smartphone. Learn more and download the Bar Harbor Card Control app.
Dedicated Information Security Program
The Bank’s Information Security Program strives to ensure the security and confidentiality of your information and protect it against any anticipated threats or any unauthorized access. We employ a dedicated team of security professionals to assess and identify any risks to the security, confidentiality, and integrity of customer information, and then we put safeguards in place to mitigate those risks. We also have regular independent audits conducted of our systems and processes to validate their effectiveness in protecting your information.
Employee Integrity
We hold our employees to the highest ethical standards and expect them to protect your confidential information. All of our employees are required to complete training annually about the federal guidelines surrounding customer information as well as an annual review of the Bank’s code of conduct. We also limit access to your confidential information to only the employees who require that information to conduct your banking processes and transactions.
