Message from the Board Chairman—October 2025

This year's Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is "Stay Safe Online," which emphasizes practical, everyday actions to protect personal data. This enduring theme, led by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), aims to simplify cybersecurity and empower everyone to adopt these simple, effective practices to secure their digital lives.

We're in this together

Safeguarding our members' accounts is and always has been a top priority at Tower. Securing the digital world is a collective effort, involving both personal and business-level security practices. We all have a shared responsibility in keeping ourselves safe online. Ultimately, it's a shared partnership to help guard against the dangers on the web.

Start with the Core 4

It's important to be proactive, taking steps now to secure our personal devices and protect our information. It may seem overwhelming at times, so I'd like to highlight the "Core 4"—four simple steps we all can take today to stay safer online.

Core 1 - Use strong passwords. Strong passwords are long, random, unique and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols). Password managers can be helpful when creating strong passwords for each of your accounts. Passwords should be a minimum of 13-15 characters.

Core 2 – Turn on MFA. You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) reduces your risk of being hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts.

Core 3 – Update software. Keeping your software updated is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.

Core 4 – Recognize and report scams. Be alert to the tactics scammers use and watch out for red flags such as poor grammar, requests for money, non-personal greetings such as "Dear Cardholder," or "Dear Customer," or an urgent or threatening tone. Always be wary of unsolicited messages asking for personal or financial information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.

Be aware, stay vigilant

This annual initiative is a good reminder that we must continue to use caution whenever we are online, whether we are posting or interacting on social media, visiting or shopping at websites, sending and receiving emails and texts, or simply searching online for a new local restaurant to try.

Scammers are ever vigilant and always looking for opportunities to steal our information with the ultimate goal of gaining access to our finances. We must remain vigilant as well.

For more helpful articles and tips, as well as the latest scams and threats impacting Tower members, please visit our Fraud & Security Center. Also be sure to check out our Fraud and Cybersecurity Checklist. And if you want to strengthen your security even more, I encourage you to sign up for ID Smart Shield, the identity theft prevention service that Tower offers free to all our Digital Banking members.

Let's all work together to build a safer digital world. Take time to discuss these tips with family, friends, employees, and your community so we can all become safer online.

I'm also proud to say that our Fraud Prevention Education campaign has been recognized with two prestigious awards this year: a Diamond Award from America's Credit Unions in the Financial Education category and a Trailblazer Award from the MD|DC Credit Union Association, in recognition of our ongoing commitment to empowering our members with the critical financial knowledge and tools needed to safeguard their finances.

Another successful Shred Day!

Our fall Shred Day, held on September 27, was a huge success! Members shredded enough of their personal and sensitive documents to fill two large shred trucks. Our Shred Days are another way to fight fraud by safely disposing of your private and financial documents.

Thank you to the Tower employees who volunteered their time at the event, and for those of you who weren't able to attend, look for next year's Shred Days typically held at our Laurel Headquarters in the spring and fall.

Support military, Veterans and children in need

This month kicks off the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) for federal employees. Please consider supporting the TowerCares Foundation through the CFC to help continue our mission to support our active military, Veterans, and children in need. Speak to your employer's CFC representative for details.

I'm proud to serve on the TowerCares Foundation volunteer Board, and I'm excited to share that 40 Tower employees volunteered at seven local TowerCares charities for the 9/11 National Day of Service last month. Our team was so enthusiastic about volunteering, we actually expanded this year from one day to a full week of service! In all, our employees volunteered 94 hours during the 9/11 week.

A special highlight of the week was when our employee team surprised local firefighters at six Maryland firehouses with free pizza on September 11 to thank them for their dedication and service in our communities. Click here to read the full press release.

Tower is truly a credit union that cares about the communities we serve, and I am proud to serve as your volunteer Board Chairman. And, if you're looking to change jobs, we are a Great Place to Work!

Share the gift of membership

Hard to believe, but the holiday season is not too far off, and in the spirit of the season, I invite you to share the gift of Tower membership with your family members, neighbors, and colleagues. Share your experience with Tower with them and invite them to join, so they too can be a part of the Tower family.

And be sure to take advantage of our member referral program, so you can earn money for each new member you refer. You get some extra cash in your pocket, and you'll be giving your friend, co-worker, or family member the benefits of lifetime Tower membership.

Your credit union is here to help

I want to end my message this month with the reassurance that your credit union is here for you and stands ready to serve you and your family.

If you find yourself experiencing financial difficulties, please reach out to us so we can discuss the options available to you. Please visit a branch or call us at 866-56-TOWER if you are in need of guidance or financial assistance. Let us help.

On behalf of your volunteer Board of Directors, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season with your friends and family.

Arland A. White, Jr.
Board Chairman