Enhanced Login Security Update

Agriculture FCU has instituted a login security enhancement to our Home Banking system's account login feature. This enhancement makes your online banking experience even more secure. Here is how it works:

1. Enter your home banking password and username in the applicable boxes on the credit union’s homepage.
2. You will be taken to a screen with additional information on the Enhanced Login Security. The screen will ask if you if you would like to start using Enhanced Login Security. If you choose “Yes”, you will be taken to step 3. If you choose “No”, you will be taken directly to step 4.
3. The next screen will provide you three options;
   1. Add extra security to this computer (Recommended) – this option will register your computer after you answer or choose challenge questions. The challenge questions are designed to be answered only by the account holder, as they have answers that are generally non-public and private in nature.
   2. Remove extra security from this computer – this option will remove the security feature from the computer you are attempting to reach your account. After you choose this option, you will be required to answer the challenge questions each time you attempt to log into your account.
   3. Remove extra security from all computers– this option will remove the security feature from all computers you have registered. After you choose this option, you will be required to answer the challenge questions each time you attempt to log into your account.

      (Adding extra security will place a “cookie” on your browser or “register” your computer so our home banking system identifies it the next time you access your account(s) online.)

4. The next screen will request you to either answer or choose your challenge questions. You will experience one of two scenarios;
   1. You may have chosen challenge questions when you initially started using the home banking system. You will be asked to enter the answers to those questions. If you do not remember the answers, you will need to contact the credit union for assistance.
   2. If you did not choose challenge questions when you initially started using the home banking system, you will be required to do so.
5. Once the challenge questions have been answered or set up, you will be allowed to view your account information and your computer will be considered “registered”. If at any time you cannot answer the challenge questions, you will need to contact the credit union for assistance.

If you use a computer that is not registered, the home banking system will ask the challenge questions. Once the challenge questions are answered correctly, you will be allowed to view your account information.

We understand that this may be inconvenient for some members, so please accept our apologies. This enhancement was required as the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council (FFIEC) issued guidance stating that all financial institutions had additional log in security features in place by the end of 2006. And, because we care about the financial well being of our members.

Set your own office hours with AFCU Online. You can access your AFCU accounts and loans 7-days a week 24-hours a day with a simple click of your mouse.

• Review Your Accounts
• Check Account Balances
• View Check images (via account history screen)
• Transfer Funds from any of your accounts at your host financial institution to or from any other account held by you or another person at another financial institution. Save on postage. Instead of mailing a check, you can use this service to make payments to your AFCU loan.
• Reconcile transactions that have cleared the credit union
• Download your posted transaction information to personal financial software such as MS Money or Quicken
  Quicken Instructions
  Microsoft Money Instructions
  
  
• Sign up for Bill Payment
• View your statements electronically and file them on your own computer

Click here to access the online banking log in page.

Beware for "Free Internet Services"

Have you ever received an email offering "free" or "enhanced" internet services? Many times, the offer includes email virus protection or internet acceleration software that increases the speed of downloading Web pages. While this may sound good, it's wise to keep the old adage "Nothing in Life is Free" in mind.

Some organizations that offer these services have "privacy policies" that allow them to harvest and share information that is universally considered personal and highly sensitive to Internet users. Such organizations ask unwitting computer users to route all their web traffic through the organization's server and authorize them to decrypt any data. This allows such organizations to harvest personal information, including encrypted information, as it passes onto the final recipient. Once the information is harvested by the organization, it is shared with unnamed third parties. Organizations that offer these services generally disclose this information in their "privacy policy" but take advantage of less informed Internet users who don't thoroughly read all disclosures before downloading software. It is important to read and understand all disclosures when downloading anything from the Internet. If permission is given, anything can pass by your security measures, such as a firewall or antivirus software. Following are several suggestions that will help protect your personal information:

• Update your operating system and Web browser software by visiting the web browser's website and installing available "patches".
• Download free software only from sites you know and trust.
• Read and understand all disclosures or end-user license agreements thoroughly before downloading software.
• Don't click on any links in unknown emails as may install unwanted software.
• Install a personal firewall to stop uninvited users from accessing your computer.
• Get an anti-spyware program that detects and deletes unwanted monitoring software.

All information available at AFCU Online through Agriculture Federal Credit Union is protected through the use of secure socket layer (SSL) protocol and 128-bit encryption. SSL is an encryption system that creates a secure environment for information that is passed between the member's computer and AFCU.