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Cybersecurity Awareness Graphic with a phone and how to protect yourself Email

October 13, 2026

Cybersecurity awareness helps you spot, stop, and report digital threats before they lead to trouble, and a few smart habits can protect your data, your money, and your peace of mind. We’ll walk you through the basics of cyber awareness, show you practical steps you can take today, and help you build a sustainable plan for long-term security.

If you’re here because you received a suspicious message about your First Merchants account, contact us using the number on our website. Do not share your secure access code with anyone over the phone—First Merchants will never ask for this information.


What Cybersecurity Awareness Means and Why It Matters

Cybersecurity awareness is the knowledge and understanding of online threats. In practice, cybersecurity awareness involves making sure there are good practices in place to protect individuals and organizations from cyberattacks. Alongside structures like firewalls and anti-malware, Cybersecurity awareness adds an extra layer of protection by focusing on how people use technology.

So, what kinds of cybersecurity threats are out there? You’ve probably heard of a few of the most common ones:

  • Phishing emails that lure you into clicking malicious links or sharing personal information
  • Social engineering tricks that exploit trust to gain access, change payments, or gather credentials
  • Ransomware that locks your files and demands payment to unlock them
  • Personnel risks, when access is misused—either by mistake or on purpose

The impact of these cybersecurity threats is immense. Businesses can face fraud losses, downtime, and reputational harm; while individuals can experience identity theft, loss of savings, and a stressful financial recovery.

But good cybersecurity awareness can lower those risks. When people take practical steps—such as verifying unusual or unexpected requests or calling their bank to confirm account issues—it foils fraudsters’ plans.


Practical Cybersecurity Awareness Best Practices

So, how do you build your cybersecurity awareness? Here are a few scam tactics to keep an eye out for:

  • Email red flags: unexpected attachments, urgent payment demands, poor spelling, look alike domains, and “keep this secret” requests
  • Imposter scams: Calls from your bank’s “fraud department” that ask for your one-time password or sign on code
  • Phone scams: requests to share one time passcodes, account numbers, or remote access; pressure to act immediately
  • Login anomalies: unfamiliar devices, unexpected multi factor prompts, or password reset notices you did not request
  • Text scams: Texts that contain a link which prompts you to enter your online banking credentials

If you encounter any of these, delete written requests, report email as phishing, change login information and passwords immediately through your portal, or hang up and contact the party being impersonated using a trusted number—such as the phone number on their website, or a written contact number.

Make sure you have First Merchants’ website favorited, and our number saved to your phone, so you can always contact us quickly to confirm any phone call or text you receive. Legitimate fraud alert texts from First Merchants are sent from one of our secure short codes.

There are also ways you can strengthen your defenses before you ever come into contact with a scammer. Here are a few simple steps:

  • Create strong, unique passwords for every account and use a reputable password manager to store them
  • Turn on multi-factor authentication for email, banking, payroll, and other sensitive services
  • Keep devices and apps updated, and enable automatic updates when possible
  • Use trusted networks. For sensitive tasks, choose your home Wi Fi or a mobile hotspot instead of public Wi Fi
  • Be careful with links and attachments, even if they appear to come from someone you know
  • Back up important data regularly to a secure cloud or an external drive you disconnect after use
  • Install apps from official stores only and review permissions before granting access
  • Use a screen lock and enable find my device and remote wipe options

Use these tips to help build strong habits. When those habits align with strong built-in protections, you’ll be well-informed and well-protected should any scammer look your way. To learn more ways to help safeguard your accounts, visit our Security and Fraud Prevention Center.


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