FirstBank is serious about safeguarding your personal information and money online, but you also play a role.
FirstBank's Commitment to Protecting its Customers
FirstBank safeguards customer information according to industry security standards and procedures to keep your data secure and confidential. We continually assess new technology for protecting your information and have vendors perform regular audits of our system.
The result is a "defense in depth" security posture that ensures protection throughout the banking process, on your computer, during the transmission of information, and in the bank's computer systems.
What is defense in depth?
Defense in depth security means rather than relying on one security measure, FirstBank uses many lines of defense to protect your information. These include a secure login process, encryption, firewalls, timed logoff, and malware protection. Our security measures overlap in layers to help further ensure that your data is secure. Whether you're signing up for Online Banking, transferring money, or paying your bills, you can depend on your account information being safe.
What FirstBank Does to Protect Your Information
Encryption
What is encryption?
Encryption is a communications process that securely scrambles private information to prevent unauthorized access as data is transmitted from one party to another.
FirstBank uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption for online customer transactions, and each time you log in, a new unique master key is created to encrypt messages between your browser and FirstBank. Once you sign off, the master key used for that login becomes useless since it is only good for one session. Before you can log in to Online Banking, you must be using an Internet browser that supports 256-bit encryption.
When accessing Online Banking with a Windows computer, we recommend you use the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox. For Mac users, we recommend the latest version of Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. To download the most current versions of these browsers, click on the appropriate link below.
Firewalls
What is a firewall?
A firewall is physical hardware or digital software technology that blocks unauthorized access by individuals or others to a network.
FirstBank's computer system does not connect directly to the Internet, as every system that interacts with the Internet is at risk of attack from hackers. To protect our systems that interact with the Internet, we use firewall technology to prevent unauthorized access. It inspects incoming traffic using a set of security rules to identify and block threats before they access our systems.
In addition, we consult with outside security experts to attempt internal and external attacks to validate that our systems are secure. We continuously monitor our systems for unauthorized entries and log any such attempts. Other tools also allow FirstBank to block unauthorized activity as it occurs.
Automatic Logoff
What is automatic logoff?
Automatic logoff ends your online banking session when you are away from your computer. It also ends your session if you forget to log off to help ensure that an unauthorized user does not access your account.
If your Online Banking session is inactive for more than 10 minutes, FirstBank protects you by ending your current banking session. Once the session has been automatically terminated, no one is able to access your secure information. You will need to log back in with your User ID and Password to access your Online Banking Services.
Secure Login
What is secure login?
Secure login is a method to ensure that only authorized users can access a system or account.
When you sign up for Online Banking, you select both your unique User ID and password. When you log in to Online Banking, you authenticate your session by entering your User ID and password, which are encrypted as they pass over the Internet. To further increase security, we do not have access to your password and will never ask you to share it.
Learn more about digital access options.Multiple Authentication Checks
What are Multiple Authentication Checks?
Multiple authentication checks are additional security measures to protect your account that go beyond entering your User ID and password.
FirstBank sometimes performs multiple authentication checks when a user signs into Online Banking or the FirstBank Mobile App. For example, when you sign in on a device that is not recognized, you may be prompted to take extra security measures. In addition to entering your User ID and password, you may be required to answer security questions to access your accounts. You may also be asked to retrieve a verification code sent by email or SMS when you start using new products or services. Additional biometric security features in your mobile device are also available through the FirstBank Mobile App.
Learn more about digital access options.Understanding the Risks
No method of transmitting information over the Internet, or any method of electronic storage of that information, is entirely secure. While the safeguards outlined above provide a high level of protection, FirstBank cannot guarantee that your data will be completely secure.
What You Can Do
Update Your Malware Protection Software
Malware is malicious software and an overarching term to describe any program or code that is created with the intent to harm a computer. In recent years, the major operating systems (Windows and Mac) have built-in protections for malware. Ensure that these services are enabled and up to date to protect you from the latest malware. Be sure to install browser and operating system updates as soon as they become available.
Be Suspicious of Requests for Private Information
Fraudsters continually think up new ways to steal your personal information or trick you into voluntarily releasing this information. They may pose as authentic websites or use emails with malicious links to gather your personal information. Many of these attempts are convincing, and may include legitimate company names and logos.
Learn more about Customer Fraud Protection.Protect Your Mobile Device
Protect your mobile device by requiring authentication as simple as a password/PIN to access the device. Consider using biometric security measures like fingerprint or facial recognition technology built into your mobile device. Make sure you can remotely wipe your personal information from the device in case it is lost or stolen.
To protect your mobile devices, ensure that you only download applications from official app stores for your device, including when downloading our Mobile Banking App.
Learn more about Mobile Banking App and where to download.