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 First Sound Bank considers the security of your financial information a top priority. We take extensive security measures to ensure a safe and reliable online experience for all of our customers. The first level of security is password protection. To gain access to accounts, users must verify their identity with a password. The second level of security is firewall protection. All First Sound Bank systems are protected with firewalls that limit access to only those customers providing the proper passwords. The third level of security is 128 bit key SSL encryption. Before data is exchanged between the customer and the bank, it is encoded or scrambled with 128 bit key SSL encryption. Additionally, the federal government provides significant protection. The same laws protecting you from fraudulent credit card usage also protects you from unauthorized online banking activity. Security Tips Even with all the security precautions we have in place we need your help in making your accounts as secure as possible. To that end, First Sound Bank recommends customers practice the following security measures:
Firewall Protection The Internet was not originally designed for open access by the general public. However, the popularity and acceptance of the Internet created the demand for more and more companies to make information available from internal computer systems. One of the ways to meet this need is for the bank to install and maintain a security firewall on our computer network. Although firewall is a new word for many computer users, the concept is not. Firewalls act much like the manager of a safe deposit box vault. When you visit the bank to access your safe deposit box, you aren't allowed to walk into the vault, search for your own box, conduct your business, and leave without speaking to anyone. Instead, you must do this with the safe deposit box manager. The manager asks to see identification, confirms who you are with a signature card, and then escorts you to your safe deposit box. Together, you enter the vault and only use separate keys to access your safe deposit box. You are then escorted to a small room where you can transact your business in private. When you are done, you simply reverse the process and a notation is made of who and when your safe deposit box was accessed. The same methodology is programmed into software firewalls. Every request for information is authenticated and provided only to the authorized individual. In addition, all activity passing through the firewall is documented. 128 Bit Key SSL Encryption All data exchanged over the Internet is divided into small units and sent in envelope type packets. Upon arriving at the computer that requested the information, the packets are reassembled into the original message. For Internet transactions and communications, you must employ a method of securing these packets as they travel across the Internet. Secure Socket Layer, or SSL, is a leading method for encrypting and decrypting packets of data as they are exchanged using a code known only to the data's sender and recipient. SSL locks the data so that regardless of the path the data takes as it passes across the Internet, it only can be opened by the end user with the proper key or combination to the lock on the data. SSL technology is widely accepted today because the combination needed to unlock SSL encrypted data is 128 characters long. Compare this to a briefcase that uses a lock with three combination wheels containing the numbers zero through nine. It would take several hours to try each combination from 000 through 999 to break the code. Imagine the time it would take to pick the lock of a briefcase that had 128 wheels and, in addition to the numbers one through nine, it also had letters A through Z. The bottom line is that even if someone could sift your packets of data out of the trillions passing through the Internet every minute, it would take so long for someone to unlock each of the SSL-protected packets, that the data would be out of date and useless by the time it was reassembled. If you have questions, you can call us at 206 515-2004 or send e-mail at customerservice@firstsoundbank.com. Links to External Sites At times, we may provide links to sites outside the control of First Sound Bank to alert you to products, information, and services offered by third parties. Provided links are meant to supplement First Sound Bank products, services, or information or provide other information we believe may be of interest to you. Although we will only provide links to sites we believe are reputable, we do not make any representations concerning the linked sites' contents or availability. Please note that linked sites may have different privacy and information security policies than First Sound Bank. You should review each site's privacy and information security policies carefully before you enter confidential information onto any linked site. Home Privacy Policy Terms of Use USA Patriot Act Identity Theft
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