Why is my online banking experience changing?

In order to make your online banking experience as secure as possible, we are introducing a new security feature. The new security feature is a Personal Security Image and its name, which are customized by you. When you see your Personal Security Image and Caption it gives you the confidence that you are at the real Provident Account Manager site (online banking site), and not a fake site. This means you can bank online with an even greater confidence.

What is the new security feature?

The new security feature adds a layer of protection to your online account by letting you know it’s really us, and letting us know it’s really you.

Letting you know it’s really us:

• You pick one of thousands of images (or upload your own) and enter a brief name describing the image.
• When you sign on to your account your Personal Security Image and its name will appear before you enter your password.
• Seeing your Personal Security Image and its name will let you know that you are at the real Provident Account Manager (online banking) site and not a look-alike. This means it is safe to enter your password.
• If the correct image and its name do not appear do not enter your password.

Remember: Once you have signed up, NEVER enter your password without first seeing your Personal Security Image and its name.

Letting us know it’s really you:

• The new security feature will recognize the computers you normally use to access Account Manager.
• If you or someone else attempts to sign on from a new or unrecognized computer, you will need to answer a security question that only you should know the answer to before being allowed to continue (other security conditions may also trigger us asking you a security question).

How much does it cost?

There is absolutely no cost to you to take advantage of the new security system.

Where do I enter my password?

Due to the new security feature, you do not enter your password until you see your Personal Security Image and its name. To begin signing into your account simply enter your User ID and click the "Sign On" button.

How am I more secure with the new security system?

The new security system protects you from accidentally revealing your password to a fake site. In addition, if others try to sign on to your account from another computer, they will be asked a security question to which only you should know the answer.

Updated 2/26/2008: How do I sign up for the new security system?

Just use the normal sign-on form in the upper left corner of the site to enter your User ID and press the button to continue. If you've been using the older, "traditional" sign on method prior to this, you will be prompted to enter additional information the first time you sign on with the newer method. This will include choosing your Personal Security Image and name as well as several security questions that only you would know the answers to. Once this occurs you have added a layer of protection to your account!

Can I still sign on from the home page?

Yes, although you will no longer see a password field on the home page, or a menu to choose the older "traditional" sign on method. From now on, you enter your password on a separate page after you have already submitted your User ID. The password entry is the last step of signing on (unless we have to ask any security questions to help confirm your identity), where you'll see your personally chosen image confirming the identity of our site to you. This is also the same procedure to follow when signing on from any other page.

Updated 10/17/2007: Will using this new method be mandatory?

This is now required for all members signing on to online banking. The opt-in period ended on October 17th, 2007.

Why do I need the new security feature?

As time goes on, there are more and more attempts by fraudsters trying to trick people into revealing their personal information, such as passwords or PINs, by creating fake Web sites that look very much like the sites of legitimate financial institutions (such as credit unions or banks). These fraudsters send out e-mails with links to these fake Web sites claiming that you need to sign on to your account by clicking the link. This phenomenon has been called Phishing, (pronounced "fishing"). We are committed to proactively protecting you, our member, against these types of threats. By making sure you always see your Personal Security Image and Caption before entering your personal information, you can ensure your information is being entered into a legitimate site.

Why am I being asked a question when I try to sign on?

We ask you one of your security questions when we detect that you are trying to sign on from a new or unrecognized computer. This helps us makes sure it’s really you trying to access your account. If you choose to have us remember your computer you will not have to answer your security questions again when using that computer.

However, if you are using a public computer or one you don’t normally use for home banking, you should choose to not have our security system remember that computer. Other circumstances can also potentially trigger a security question to be asked too, even if you are using a computer you have asked us to remember.

Can I access my account from multiple computers?

Yes, you can still access your account from any number of computers. If you sign on from a new or unrecognized computer you will first need to answer one or more security questions before your Personal Security Image is displayed. This helps us verify your identity and make sure it is really you trying to access your account. There is no limit on how many different computers you can use to sign on to your account.

How easy is it to use the new security system?

It is extremely simple for anyone to use. Just use the site as usual and look for your Personal Security Image and Caption before you enter your password.

I share my computer with someone who has their own account. Can both of us still sign on from this machine?

Yes, you can both use the same computer to sign on to your individual accounts. There is no limit on how many people can sign on to the Account Manager from the same computer.

Can I change my Personal Security Image and Caption?

Yes, you can change your Personal Security Image and Caption at any time. To make the change, go to the "Security Settings" link after you sign on to your account.

I am trying to sign on from my own computer, but the Web site is not showing me my Personal Security Image and Caption. Instead, it is asking me a question. What is happening?

This might happen in some cases if you have deleted all cookies on your computer. Additionally, other conditions can also trigger the asking of a security question, even if you are using a computer you have asked us to remember (if you have recently changed your security questions, image, or caption, for instance). Before answering a security question or entering your password, make sure that you are going to the legitimate Provident Web site. The easiest way to ensure this is by typing the URL (the Internet location address) of Provident (providentcu.org) directly into your web browser. Then, you should see your Personal Security Image and Caption next to the password field. If your Personal Security Image and Caption appear, you can be confident that you are at the legitimate Provident Account Manager Web site and can safely enter your password.

Remember: Once you have set up your security image, caption, and questions, NEVER enter your password without first seeing your Personal Security Image and Caption.

Will my password change due to the new security system?

No. Your Personal Security Image and Caption as well as the security questions and answers you provide are separate from your regular password, which you will continue to use as the last step of signing on. We do not always ask the security questions to sign on, but we will always ask for your password.

Updated 06/04/08: What if I have a joint account? Does each person have their own separate image and caption?

The images, captions, and security questions are associated with a particular User ID. So if 2 people are sharing the same User ID for a shared account, then they would also need to both know what the images, captions, and answers to the security questions are. Households with more than one membership at Provident would have separate images, captions, and security questions for each one. New! As of June 4, 2008, members can now set up two different User IDs for the same member number. This allows you to have separate Security images and questions for each sign-on, and allows you to pick questions that are harder for other people to answer.

I already have anti-virus and a personal firewall. Why do I need this?

We are glad to hear you use antivirus and a personal firewall. Be sure that you keep both software programs up-to-date for the best possible protection against viruses, Trojans, and hackers. This new security feature protects against other kinds of threats such as a stolen User ID and password. It works with your other personal security programs, but it does not replace them.

Is my personal information still safe?

Yes. In fact, your personal information is safer than ever before because we are making sure it is really you and not an unauthorized user trying to access your information.

Added 8/24/2007: Provident's site is telling me I need to turn on cookies, but they are on. What's wrong?

There are three likely possibilities for problems like this:

• We might have had trouble detecting your cookie support. This is especially likely to happen if you right click on the page to refresh it, but there may be other ways it could happen as well. If this happens to you just click on the "click here to continue" link in the message to re-check for cookies.
• Another possibility is that you may be running software that interferes with cookie usage. There are many filtering and blocking software packages available which may filter out cookies. If you are running software like this, then you may have to change its settings to allow the Provident site to set and read cookies.
• Finally, your machine may be behind a firewall or proxy server that prevents cookie transmission. This happens mostly in corporate environments. So, regardless of your browser settings, cookies won't be sent or received by your browser. Since the cookies aren't making it through the corporate network to your browser, the Web Site will assume you personally aren't accepting them. If this is happening to you, your IT or IS department would need to change their software settings in order to allow Provident's cookies through.

Added 8/24/2007: I've set my cookie-blocking software to allow providentcu.org cookies from being blocked. Why am I still getting cookie-related errors on the Provident site?

Provident has more than one site domain involved for signing on to online banking. If you are only allowing certain sites to use cookies (in a "white list" or list of exceptions to the blocking behavior), you may need to specify all the site domains that Provident uses. Please make sure that all of the following sites used by Provident are allowed to set and read cookies:

• http://providentcu.org
• http://www.providentcu.org
• https://accountmanager.providentcu.org
• https://secure.providentcu.org

In addition, some of our functionality is provided by partner companies, and that functionality can be curtailed if their sites are blocked from using cookies, so they should also be added to any exception list you maintain:

• Bill Manager: https://billpay1.pscufs.com
• Mortgage rates, mortgage application, etc.: http://providentcu.mortgagewebcenter.com, https://providentcu.mortgagewebcenter.com
• CU Service Center search results: http://www.cuservicecenter.com

You may also need to unblock the following site addresses if you use them to sign on from our home page:

• http://providentcu.com
• http://www.providentcu.com
• http://providentcu.net
• http://www.providentcu.net

Added 8/24/2007: Why can't I sign on using Safari?

We do support Safari on our site, in fact the site was designed on a Mac and is regularly tested in Safari. However, the default configuration for cookies in Safari, to accept cookies "only from sites you navigate to," can cause problems because the Provident site combines pages from more than one site domain. Even when these domains are all coming from Provident, Safari still considers them to be separate sites, and blocks the cookies from one of them, due to this setting. This is easily fixed if you make the following changes in Safari:

1. In Safari, click on the "Safari" menu at the top of the screen, and select "Preferences…".
2. In the window that opens, click on the "Security" icon.
3. Next to where it says "Accept Cookies", select "Always".

There are also plug-in extensions you can download, such as "SafariPlus", that will give you more finite control over your cookies, so that you can add Provident sites to a "white list" of sites that are allowed to use cookies. If you decide to go this route, be sure to add the following four sites to your white list in order to avoid sign on problems:

• http://providentcu.org
• http://www.providentcu.org
• https://accountmanager.providentcu.org
• https://secure.providentcu.org

Added 8/24/2007: Why can't I sign on using FireFox?

We do support FireFox on our site, and usually this is not a problem. However, if you've ever had FireFox version 1 or earlier on your computer, it may be set to allow "only cookies from the originating server". This value may be retained even after you upgraded to version 2 or later, which does not have this setting visible. This can cause problems because the Provident site combines pages from more than one site domain. Even when these domains are all coming from Provident, FireFox still considers them to be separate sites, and blocks the cookies from one of them, due to this setting. This is easily fixed with the following steps:

1. In FireFox, type "about:config" into the address field at the top of the window, where site addresses are normally shown.
2. On the page that opens, type "cookie" into the "filter" field in order to reduce the number of configuration options shown.
3. Find the line "network.cookie.cookieBehavior" and double-click on it.
4. Change the "1" to "0" (zero).

If you prefer to keep cookies turned off for other sites, but to allow them for Provident sites, you can follow these steps to add Provident's sites to a "white list" of sites that are allowed to use cookies:

1. The first step depends on your Operating System:
   • Windows: In FireFox, click on the "FireFox" menu at the top of the screen, and select "Preferences…".
   • Mac OS X: In FireFox, click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the window, and select "Options…".
2. In the window that opens, click on the "Privacy" icon.
3. Click on the "Exceptions" button.
4. Enter the following sites, one at a time, clicking the "Allow" button after each one:
   • http://providentcu.org
   • http://www.providentcu.org
   • https://accountmanager.providentcu.org
   • https://secure.providentcu.org