You know, it's so convenient and easy to access your accounts online and perform all the banking and financial activities that were once only available by visiting a branch. With the convenience of electronic banking, however, comes the increased opportunity for identity theft. At Community First, our focus is on keeping your private information safe and secure.

Online Banking Security

  • Our Safety & Security Commitment

    Community First is focused on its membership, serving as Trusted Advisors to our members’ financial needs. This is especially true for financial safety and security. We are proud of our use of proven technology to protect your personal information and your financial transactions. We employ seasoned analysts and investigators dedicated to analyzing account activity and communication with members when we see potential fraudulent activity.

    Community First is committed to providing safe, secure online banking tools that provide you with added convenience without compromising peace of mind. We continually enhance our security features to make your online banking experience even safer.

  • 1 - Measures in place so you know it’s us

    When you first access Online Banking, you will be asked to choose a personal image from one of thousands of images. You will also be asked to provide us with brief text to help identify the image you have chosen.

    Whenever you attempt to log in to Online Banking, the personal image you selected and associated text will appear before you enter your password. If you do not see this, please try logging in again. Perhaps there was a typo during log in. If you know that your login is correct, and you still do not see the image and text you selected, please e-mail or call a Member Service Representative at 904.354.8537 or 800.342.8416.

    Please remember—seeing your personal image and text lets you know that you are in our official Online Banking site.
  • 2 - Measures in place so we know it’s really you.

    Identity thieves can’t know every detail of your personal life, so we’ve designed a series of security questions for you to complete to provide a safeguard against impersonators.

    To get started, you’ll choose three simple questions; the questions are easy to answer and may ask you about small personal details, such as “What was the name of your first pet?” or “What high school did you attend?”

    By providing the answers to these questions, you’ll give us information that will help verify your identity.

    Your answers will be used, along with select account information, as added protection when certain conditions exist that trigger an increased security concern.

    Need more information? Check out our frequently asked questions below concerning our enhanced Online Banking security features.
  • Inadditionto a password, what other security features will I have to setup tohelp further protect my account information online?

    Our enhanced security features add a layer of protection to your online account by letting you know it’s really us, and letting us know it’s really you.

    Letting You know it’s really Us
    • You pick one of thousands of images and provide us brief text to help identify the image to you.
    • When you attempt to log in to eBranch, your personal image and text will appear before you enter your password.
    • Seeing your personal image and text will let you know that you have reached our official online banking site. This means it is safe to enter your password.
    • If the correct personal image and text do not appear, do not enter your password.
    Remember—Once you have signed up, you should not enter sensitive information such as your password without first seeing your personal security image and text.
    Letting Us know it’s really You
    • Identity thieves can’t know every detail of your personal life, so we’ve designed a series of security questions to provide a safeguard against impersonators.
    • To get started, you’ll choose three simple questions; the questions are easy to answer and may ask you about small personal details, such as “What was the name of your first pet?” or “What high school did you attend?”
    • By providing the answers to these questions, you’ll give us information that will help verify your identity.
    • Your answers will be used, along with select account information, as added protection when you log in from a computer that our system does not recognize.
  • How do I set up the security enhancements?

    When you log into Online Banking for the first time, you will be prompted to select your personal image and text and security questions. You do not need to do anything to initiate this process. When you are prompted, please take a moment to set up your image, text and questions in order to add an additional layer of protection to your account.

  • How should I choose the secret answers to my security questions?

    You will only be prompted to answer some of your security questions when a particular activity or transaction appears to be unusual or uncharacteristic of your typical behavior. Try to avoid using answers that will change over time.

  • Will I be asked to answer my security questions?

    You will be prompted to answer a few security questions that only youknowwhen aparticular activity or transaction appears to be unusual or uncharacteristic of your typical behavior.

    Uncharacteristic or unusual behavior is anything that appears out-of-the-ordinary compared to how and where you would normally bank online. If the action being requested does not appear to be something you would normally do,we will ask you for more information to make sure it is really you and not an unauthorized user.

  • Can I have a more personalized Login?

    For additional security, use this tool (located under the Options Tab within Online Banking) to personalize your Login ID to Online Banking.

    When creating a personalized login, choose a word that contains six to 40 letters, numbers and special characters. If the Login you select currently exists, you will be asked to select another one.
  • Can I reset my Password if I forget it?

    Forgot your password? Not a problem. Just select 'Forgot Your Password?' located on the login page under your personal image, verify your identity and select a new password to enter Online Banking.

  • I already have anti-virus software and a personal firewall. Why do I need this?

    We are glad to hear you use anti-virus software and a personal firewall. Be sure that you keep both software programs up-to-date for the best possible protection against viruses, trojans and hackers. Our security enhancements protect against other kinds of threats such as a stolen account number and password.

  • What will the Security Enhancements look like after I complete the set up process?

    You will only enter in your account number in the Online Banking Login box on the left side of our website, www.CommunityFirstFL.org

    After you verify that the image and text shown are what you previously selected, you will enter your password and click on “Log in”. Generally, you will be taken directly into Online Banking.

    If our systems detect any uncharacteristic or unusual behavior, we will ask you to verify your identity by answering some of your security questions. After you have correctly answered your security questions you will be taken directly to our online banking system.

  • Where do I enter my password?

    Once you have set up the additional security features, you should not enter your password until you see your personal security image and text. To begin logging in, simply enter your account number and click on Log In. You should then see your personal image and text on the next screen. If you do, you can safely enter your password to gain access to your account.

  • How are you able to detect unusual or uncharacteristic behavior?

    The security system takes into account factors such as the type of transactions you ordinarily perform, the computers you typically use to access your account, and the typical security settings for your computer. Hundreds of factors, such as these, create a profile unique to you that allows us to make decisions about whether the person conducting a given activity and transaction within your account appears to really be you.

  • Will I be asked for more information all the time?

    No, you will only be asked for more information when unusual or uncharacteristic behavior is detected or during a periodic security update for your account. Approximately every 6 months, we will ask you to select new authentication questions as added security for your account.

  • How do I know it is working?

    After you complete the set-up process, the security system will work automatically. This means you are being protected every moment — when you are online and, more importantly, when you are not. Again, please note that for your protection, we will periodically ask you to update your questions and answers as well.

  • Is my personal information safe?

    Yes. In fact, your personal information is safer than ever before, because these security enhancements help us make sure it is really you and not an unauthorized user trying to access your information.

  • How will this help prevent online fraud?

    If your account number and password are stolen, the fraudster would have to be able to answer your security questions correctly before being able to access your account or complete a fraudulent transaction.

    If the user is not able to provide this information, the activity would be blocked. This added layer of security helps us protect your online account at all times. The personal image and text also help you ensure that you are always logging in to our legitimate online banking site, not a fraudulent one.

  • I check my account often. Wouldn’t I know if something unusual showed up on my account?

    Perhaps, but it is always a wise idea to regularly monitor your account for any unusual activity (like payments you didn’t make). These security enhancements help prevent those incidences from ever occurring, so when you check your account everything is exactly as it should be.

  • I share my computer with someone who has a different account. Can both of us log in from this computer?

    Yes, you can both use the same computer to log into your individual accounts. There are no limits to the number of people that can log into various websites from the same computer. However, you should consider choosing security questions that only you will know the answer to.

  • My spouse and I have a joint account. Will we both be able to log into the account?

    Yes, you can both log into the account as usual.

  • Can I change my personal security image and text or security questions?

    Yes, you can change your personal security image and text or security questions at any time. To make the change, go to the Account Options under the ‘Options’ tab after you log in to your account. In addition, we will periodically request that you update your selections.