Security Information

For your added security, we offer you this advanced encryption technology absolutely FREE. LocalSSL Secure provides protection at the PC level by encrypting your keystrokes as you type, helping prevent keyloggers from tracking your activity or stealing your password. Click for more information, or to download your free copy.

Keep your login information, including your password, confidential. Never disclose your login information to anyone, including family members, friends or Credential Direct employees. Make sure you carefully select a unique password, choosing character combinations that would be very difficult for someone to guess, and change your password regularly. Never write down your password, store it on your computer or keep a poorly disguised record of it.

Check your account(s) frequently and contact us immediately if you notice any suspicious activity.

Logout of your account(s) using the Logout link. You’ll find it on the top right hand side of each page.

Install anti-virus software and make sure it’s always up-to-date. A variety of anti-virus software packages are available on the market today. Many of these products install anti-virus updates to your computer automatically, as long as you have the update feature enabled. Also, you will need to monitor and apply security patches as they’re released by your operating system/computer manufacturer.

Credential Direct has an arrangement with a Trend Micro , a leading anti-virus/anti-spyware software provider, allowing us to offer a special discounted price to our clients.

Ensure your browser has the latest security updates and supports 128-bit encryption when accessing secure websites.

When you’re finished conducting online transactions, logout of the Credential Direct site and close your browser. Also, clear your browser’s cache files and delete cookies stored on your machine regularly, recognizing that this will remove saved login information and prevent others from being able to view your information later.

Take extra precautions when using public computers like the ones at internet cafes – especially when doing online banking, brokerage or any other financial transaction. These computers are targets for keyloggers, software designed to capture your keystrokes in an attempt to steal your confidential information. And, because these programs can go undetected, we highly recommend that you do not access your Credential Direct account, without first installing Credential Direct LocalSSL Secure onto the machine. Please note that administrator rights may be required to download LocalSSL Secure.

Use a firewall to protect your home network from potential security threats. Firewalls help prevent unauthorized access to or from your computer by filtering the information coming through your Internet connection.

As an additional precaution, if you’re using a Windows Operating System and you don’t share files with other computers on your network, you should disable the Windows File sharing feature. By doing this, you will prevent others from being able to download or view your files.

Do not keep your computer connected to the internet for long periods of time as it could make your connection vulnerable to hackers.

Do not include confidential information such as account numbers or other personal information in email messages. Because email inquiries are not encrypted, others could potentially view the contents of your message as it travels over the Internet.

You may have read about recent incidents involving fraudulent email messages directing users to Websites masquerading themselves as reputable companies in an attempt to get users to divulge personal and/or financial information. This type of malicious scam is known as a phishing or brand spoofing scam.

A phisher sends an unsolicited email to deceive users into disclosing confidential personal information. The deceptive email suggests clicking on a link or downloading an attachment for any one of the following reasons:

• Change or update to personal information
• Contests
• Possible suspension of client cards or accounts
• Application for products

Once a user clicks on the link or downloads the attachment, they are taken to a bogus site that requests confidential personal information, which could include:

• User ID's
• Account Numbers
• Social Insurance Numbers
• Other Personal or Private Information
• Passwords

There are some commonalities that can help you identify phishing scams:

• These types of scams are most commonly initiated through an unsolicited email.
• Many phishing emails begin with a general greeting, such as “Dear Client.” If your first and last names are not displayed, be suspicious and do not click on any links or buttons.
• Messages may imply a sense of urgency or immediate risk to your account if you fail to answer. For example, they may state that an unauthorized transaction has recently occurred on your account, or claim that Credential Direct is updating its records/services and requires information immediately to ensure continued access to your holdings.
• Phishing emails often contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, or missing words.
• The web address of the site will often have the @ symbol or a numeric address (e.g. 123.456.1.2). The address may also include the word, phrase or text "credentialdirect" to make it appear authentic.

At no time do members of Credential Direct request personal or financial information by sending out unsolicited emails. You should never send personal identification numbers or other personal confidential information by email as it is not a secure method of contact.

If you receive an email claiming to be from a member of Credential Direct that asks for personal or account information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Remember, members of Credential Direct never request personal or account information in unsolicited emails. To ensure that the email is legitimate, contact us immediately.