Multifactor Authentication


What is Multifactor Authentication?

Multifactor Authentication provides enhanced and additional security for your online banking application. It is now a standard part of Americana Community Bank’s online banking and works as part of our commitment to protect you against identity theft and fraud. Multifactor Authentication adds extra layers of online security to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts and reinforces the fact that you are at Americana Community Bank’s Internet Banking website.

What does Multifactor Authentication involve?

Multifactor Authentication consists of the following: an image, a caption and three to six challenge questions. This information is known only to you and the financial institution and protects you, whether you are logging in to view your accounts from your own personal computer or another computer.

How does Multifactor Authentication work?

Once you enter your user ID on the Internet Banking log-in screen, click the sign-in link. Your image will then be displayed along with the caption you created. This confirms that you are at Americana Community Bank’s Internet Banking website and you are safe to enter your Password to access your information. Each time you log-in from a different computer, the challenge questions will be asked to verify your identity. Once you provide the correct answers, your image and caption will display and you may enter your password. You will also be asked if you wish to register the computer from which you are logging in. If you select this option, the Multifactor Authentication system will then capture the information about the computer so that you will not have to answer challenge questions the next time you log-in from that same machine.

Will I need to change my password?

No. Your password remains the same.

How is Multifactor Authentication more secure?

Multifactor Authentication protects you from accidentally or unknowingly revealing your user ID and password to an imposter or a fraudulent website. When you enter your User ID and click sign-in, we are able to provide you with your image and caption. If the image presented is the one that you selected, you can feel secure in entering your password to proceed. In addition, if someone does get your user ID and password and attempt to log-in, they will be using a computer that you did not register, therefore, the system will present the user with challenge questions. Since they will not know the answers to the questions that you provided during the set-up process, they will be turned away and the financial institution will be notified.

Why do I need to set-up challenge questions?

Challenge questions and answers provide information known only to you and the financial institution. They help prevent unauthorized access to your account information. If someone else has access to your user ID and password, they will not know the answer to your challenge question and will not be able to get to your information.

Can someone steal my Multifactor Authentication image and caption?

No, your image and caption is only shown to you if you log-in to a computer that has been registered or if you have successfully responded to the challenge question(s) that have been asked. It is not possible for an unauthorized person to get access to your image.

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

This is to help verify that it’s really you signing in. There are several reasons why you might be challenged. These challenge questions are meant to keep imposters out because only you know the answers to these questions.

Some reasons might be:

  • You are logging in from a different computer
  • You are logging in from a different browser
  • Your token is missing from your computer because you cleared all the cookies on your computer or your cookie/token disappeared
  • You incorrectly typed your User ID on the first attempt
  • If you are challenged, answer the question with the correct answer and you are correctly shown your image.

What if I share my computer with someone who has his or her own account? Can we both log-in from the same machine?

Yes, you can use the same computer to log-in to your individual accounts. There is no limit on how many people can log-in to the bank website from the same computer.

Can I change my image and text phrase?

Yes. To make the change, simply click on the Change Security Data link under “User Options” on the Online Banking menu bar. If you are having difficulty, you can contact your Americana Community Bank branch for assistance.