Security

FMB Online Banking Security

Keeping financial information secure and confidential within FMB Online Banking is one of our most important responsibilities. Whenever personal information is requested or displayed on our website we use encryption technology, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), to prevent unauthorized access to data. Your online banking experience and the security of your personal and financial information are very important to us, and we are committed to safe and secure online banking and to provide you with peace of mind when you access your account information.

Home Page Login

For your convenience, we offer the ability to log into online banking from our home page. While on the home page, you may notice that the web address (URL) does not begin with the prefix "https," nor does the familiar padlock symbol appear in your Web browser — both indicators that the page is secure. This is because the home page itself is not encrypted. However, after you enter your User ID and click the "Log In" button, a secure, encrypted connection is established between your browser and the online banking server, and you are taken to a second log-in page.

On this page you will see the "https" prefix and padlock symbol, plus an additional security enhancement: an image that you are prompted to select once you have established your online banking profile. This image provides additional verification that you are on the secure log-in page and help safeguard against fraudulent "phishing" for personal and financial information. We recommend that you check the URL in your browser's address window for the "https" prefix and confirm that your personally selected image and text are displayed before entering your password to bank online.

Online Banking Security Features

We use the latest technology to ensure the security and confidentiality of your information. Advancements in security technology occur frequently, and we continually evaluate our security environment to ensure that it provides the highest level of privacy and safety for our customers. We employ a variety of security features to help protect your account information when you bank online some that are evident to you and some that work in the background. The following outlines the steps we take to keep your information secure.

Security Image:
Enhanced security is provided for our FMB Online banking customers by requiring a security image that verifies your identity in two ways. Every time you log in to Internet banking, the bank identifies you, and it lets you identify the bank using a private image and pass phrase that is unique to each individual Internet banking user. This level of security is used for routine Internet banking services such as balance inquiries and transfers.

Session Timeout:
To further protect you, a timeout feature is often used. This feature will automatically log you out of your current financial service session after an extended period of inactivity on our site.

Secure Browser:
FMB Online also requires the use of secure browsers to protect you while you access our online financial services. More specifically, the personal and account information that flow back and forth between your PC and FMB Online must be encrypted while in transit - secure browsers are how we achieve this level of protection. Encryption is the process of scrambling information (typically for data transmission) so that it can only be reassembled in its original clear text format by someone who has the correct encryption key to do so. Likewise, when we send personal or account information to you, this technology encrypts it, which then only you can decrypt.

Authentication:
Authentication ensures that you, the legitimate user is communicating with us and not a fraudster who does not have authority to access your online accounts.

SSL:
SSL stands for "Secure Socket Layer." This technology allows users to establish sessions with secure Internet sites, meaning they have minimal risk of external violation. Once inside the Internet Banking site, our use of SSL technology keeps you and your account information secure. Only browsers supporting the SSL security protocol with 128 bit encryption can be used to log on to our system.

Encryption:
Encryption turns words and phrases into coded language. All of your online activities during an Internet banking session become a string of unrecognizable numbers before entering the Internet. We employ the strongest forms of cryptography that are commercially available for use over the Internet, so your account information will read as gibberish to everyone but you and our financial institution.

Monitoring:
We also employ background monitoring of your account activity, if the system detects an unusual pattern with your login, you will be prompted to answer one of your Challenge Questions. You must answer this question correctly before being allowed to continue logging in.

Challenge Question:
Challenge Questions are questions for which you previously supplied answers to confirm your identity and prevent fraud, should unusual activity on your account be identified.

Consumer Protections Under Regulation E

Regulation E, which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, protects individual consumers engaging in electronic funds transfers. Regulation E sets forth basic rights, liabilities, and responsibilities of EFT consumers of financial institutions that offer these services.

Under these consumer protections, you can recover internet banking losses according to the time frame you detect and report them to the bank. A consumer’s liability for an unauthorized electronic fund transfer(s) is as follows:

If the consumer notifies the Bank within two business days after learning of the loss or theft of the access device, the consumer's liability shall not exceed the lesser of $50 or the amount of unauthorized transfer(s) that occur before notice to the Bank.
If the consumer fails to notify the Bank within two business days after learning of the loss or theft of the access device, the consumer's liability shall not exceed the lesser of $500 or the sum of:
- $50 or the amount of unauthorized transfers that occur within the two business days, whichever is less; and
- The amount of unauthorized transfers that occur after the close of two business days and before notice to the Bank.
A consumer must report an unauthorized electronic fund transfer that appears on a periodic statement within 60 days of the Bank's transmittal of the statement to avoid liability for subsequent transfers. If the consumer fails to do so, the consumer's liability shall not exceed the amount of the unauthorized transfers that occur after the close of the 60 days and before notice to the Bank.

Please contact a customer service representative at your local branch for more details.

Recommendation for Business Account Holders

FMB Bank strives to provide the most secure online banking experience for your business. The bank has implemented several security measures to keep your online banking environment safe and secure.

FMB Bank joins the FFIEC and the other financial regulatory agencies in urging business account holders to conduct an internal assessment of control in their business to ensure the highest level of security for online business transactions.

The Regulation E protections listed above apply only to consumers and consumer accounts.