Enhanced Security FAQs

Enhanced Security Frequently Asked Questions

Peoples State Bank’s Internet Banking Enhanced Security service is an easy and free way to help prevent identity theft and fraud.

What is Enhanced Security?

Enhanced Security is a new, online security feature that is now a standard part of your Internet Banking sign-in experience. As part of our ongoing commitment to help protect you against identify theft and fraud, Enhanced Security helps prevent unauthorized access to your accounts while reassuring you that you’re at the valid Peoples State Bank website. Enhanced Security consists of three parts: an image, an pass phrase, and three challenge questions that are secrets between you and Peoples State Bank. All three parts help protect you, whether you’re signing in to Internet Banking from your own computer, or from somewhere else (such as work or a public library).

Why do I need Enhanced Security?

Enhanced Security helps to ensure your information is secure by protecting you from fraud and identity theft in two ways. First, it helps you recognize that you’re at the valid Internet Banking site at Peoples State Bank, rather than at a phony look-alike site. Secondly, you can ensure that we also recognize you as the true owner of your account because Enhanced Security helps us verify your identity with your chosen image and image description. If we don’t recognize your computer, we’ll ask you one of your challenge questions as an additional line of defense against unauthorized access to your accounts.

How does Enhanced Security work?

Enhanced Security is made up of three parts: an image, a pass phrase, and three challenge questions that no one else knows. When you’re at your own computer, enter your Access ID. Then click on the Submit Button and we’ll show your secret Enhanced Security image and pass phrase, which verifies that you’re at the valid Internet Banking site at Peoples State Bank. You know it’s safe to enter your Password.

When you’re signing in from a different computer, we ask one of your challenge questions to verify your identity. When you answer correctly, the secret Enhanced Security pass phrase and image appears. You know it’s safe to enter your Password and sign in; and we know that it’s really you.

Has my password changed?

No. The Enhanced Security image, pass phrase, and three challenge questions and answers you provide are separate from your regular Internet Banking login password.

Does Enhanced Security use cookies?

One of the ways we recognize you is by placing a cookie on your computer when you sign up for our Enhanced Security service. The cookie contains a randomly generated, unique number used as an identifier. When you sign in after that, your Web browser sends us this cookie, which lets us know that you’re using your own computer. The cookie is visible only to the Internet Banking site at Peoples State Bank and does not contain any personal information. You can also access Internet Banking from any number of computers and have the same Enhanced Security protections.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is piece of securely-coded information sent by Peoples State Bank to your computer when you sign up for our Enhanced Security service. Cookies include a randomly generated, unique number used as a sign-in or registration identifier. Every time you log in from that same computer, your Web browser then sends us back this cookie, which is a security feature that lets us know that you’re using your own computer.

Does Enhanced Security Use Flash Objects?

Yes, if you have Macromedia Flash installed on your computer, we will use Macromedia Flash Objects to identify your computer in the event that we can’t identify your cookies. By using Flash Objects as a backup method for recognizing you as a valid user, we ensure that your sign-in experience is as quick and convenient as possible.

What is a flash object?

Macromedia Flash Objects store data on your computer in much the same way that cookies do. If you have Macromedia Flash installed, Peoples State Bank can use Flash Objects to recognize your computer in the event that you erase all your cookies. That way, even if we can’t identify you by your cookies, we can identify you as a valid user without having to ask you one of your Enhanced Security challenge questions.

How is Enhanced Security more secure?

Enhanced Security helps you know that you are at the valid Internet Banking site at Peoples State Bank before you enter your Password. In addition, we know it’s really you signing in because we recognize your computer or we ask you a challenge question to verify your identity.

What if someone steals my Password? How will Enhanced Security prevent them from accessing my account?

When an unauthorized person tries to sign in from another computer, we will recognize that they’re using a different computer, and so we’ll ask one of your challenge questions. They won’t know the answer and will not be able to sign in to your account.

Why do I need to set up challenge questions?

Challenge questions help prevent unauthorized people from getting access to your Internet Banking information. That way, even if they’ve stolen your Access ID and password, they won’t know the answer to the secret question. And if someone signs in from a computer that we don’t recognize (for example, if you sign in from a public library), we’ll ask you a challenge question to verify that it’s really you.

What keeps somebody from stealing my Enhanced Security image and pass phrase?

After you click on the Submit Button, we only show your Enhanced Security image and pass phrase automatically if you sign in from a computer we recognize as your computer. If you’re at a different computer, we ask one of your challenge questions before showing the image.

When I enter my Access ID, it asks me a question instead of showing my Enhanced Security image. Why?

This is to help verify that it’s really you signing in. We ask a challenge question when you’re signing in from a computer we don’t recognize. Your correct answer confirms that it’s really you.

How do I know I’m at the genuine Internet Banking site?

Enhanced Security will help you figure that out. Type the correct address (www.peoples-bank.com) directly into your Web browser. When you arrive at the site and enter your Access ID, click on the Sign in button, and your secret Enhanced Security image and pass phrase will appear. That’s confirmation that you’re at the bank’s legitimate Web site. If you do not see your secret image and pass phrase, and are not asked your secret challenge question, do not enter your Password. Since this may represent a fraudulent website, please report this immediately to us at psb@peoples-bank.com.

How do you know that I’m signing in from my own computer?

When you sign up for our Enhanced Security service, we put a secure cookie on your computer. The cookie contains a randomly generated, unique number used as an identifier. When you sign in after that, your Web browser sends us this cookie, which lets us know that you’re using your own computer. The cookie is visible only to the Internet Banking site at Peoples State Bank and does not contain any personal information. You can also access Internet Banking from any number of computers and have the same Enhanced Security protections.

Can I access Internet Banking from multiple computers?

Yes, you can access Internet Banking from any number of computers and have the same Enhanced Security protections. If you sign in from a computer that you haven’t used for Internet Banking before, you just need to answer one of your challenge questions to verify that it’s really you. Once you answer the question correctly, we will ask you if you would like us to recognize that computer in the future. If you answer yes, you will not need to answer a challenge question when you use that computer.

I share my computer with someone who also uses Internet Banking. Can both of us still sign in from this computer?

Yes. You can use the same computer to sign in to your individual Internet Banking accounts safely; you won’t see each other’s information. There’s no limit to how many people can sign in to Internet Banking at Peoples State Bank from the same computer. Just remember not to share your Access ID, Password or answers to your challenge questions.

Can I change my Enhanced Security image, pass phrase, and challenge questions?

Yes, you can change your Enhanced Security image, pass phrase, and challenge questions at any time. We will never ask you to change your Enhanced Security information, and we will never change it for you. To make the change, sign in to Internet Banking and go to the Options tab. Then click on Security Data link.

Is there a fee for using the Enhanced Security service?

Enhanced Security is free. It’s just one more way we’re working with you to safeguard your privacy and security.

How do I sign up for Enhanced Security?

Signing up for and using Enhanced Security is quick and easy. You simply choose a Enhanced Security image, pass phrase, and three challenge questions. You have two ways of signing up for Enhanced Security at the time you enroll in Internet Banking or if you are already enrolled the next time you sign in you will be prompt to set up your Enhanced Security image, pass phrase and three challenge questions.