About Secure Sign-In

What is Secure Sign-In?

Secure Sign-In provides an additional level of security to protect you from unauthorized online access to your accounts. It includes additional security that may be used to confirm your identity and also allows you to be sure you're at our secure online website before you enter your password.

There are two parts to Secure Sign-In. During the first part of the registration, you choose and answer several challenge questions. You also tell us whether you wish to register the computer you're using. In the future, when you connect from a registered machine, we recognize you. When you connect from an unregistered machine, you must answer one of the challenge questions to confirm your identity.

During the second part of the registration, you will choose a unique picture and a secret phrase. Every time we ask for your password, we will display your picture and phrase. If you ever see a site claiming to be us, and do not see your information, then you are not at our website.

Do I have a new Customer ID, User ID or Password(s)?

No. Your customer ID, user ID and password(s) have not changed. The secret picture, phrase and answers you provide to the three challenge questions during the Secure Sign-In registration are separate from your IDs and Password(s).

Never write down or share your customer ID, user ID or password(s).

How do I get started?

You must be enrolled in Business Online Banking (BOB) before you can sign-in. If you are already enrolled in BOB, then sign in using your current customer ID, user ID and password(s). The first time you sign in, you must change your user password. To enroll, just visit a First Citizens branch or talk with your banker.

What is my customer ID?

If you currently use Business Online Banking (BOB), sign in using the Customer ID you selected during enrollment. If you cannot remember your customer ID, please call Customer Service at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732).

Where do I enter my password(s)?

After you enter your customer ID and user ID, you will be prompted on the next screen to enter your password(s). You will always enter your password(s) on a secure screen that shows the secret picture and phrase you selected during the Secure Sign-In registration.

What if I forgot my password(s)?

If you can't remember your password(s), please call Customer Service at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) and ask to have your password(s) reset. BOB Advantage customers can also click “Forgot Your Password” to use the password recovery feature.

My password doesn’t work?

Your password is case-sensitive, which means you must type it in the same combination of uppercase and lowercase letters you used when you selected it. If you are having difficulty, check to make sure you have not accidentally hit the caps lock key.

After multiple failed attempts to sign in, your online access will be locked. If this happens, or if you can't remember your password(s), please call Customer Service at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) to have your password(s) reset. BOB Advantage customers can also click “Forgot Your Password” to use the password recovery feature.

I just tried to sign in, and I got a screen prompting me to complete the Secure Sign-In registration now. Why do I have to register?

Your security online has always been one of our top concerns. New government regulations for financial institutions require additional steps to help authenticate you and to ensure that you're at our secure website and not a fraudulent one. Secure Sign-In is the new layer of protection we have introduced.

I’m locked out. How do I access my account?

There are two ways you can be locked out of your account. If you forget your answers to the challenge questions or give the wrong answer too many times, then our Secure Sign-In will lock you out. If you give the wrong password too many times, then your account access will be denied. In either case, you must call our Customer Contact Center at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) and speak to a customer service representative to have your access restored.

Is this website secure?

Business Online Banking takes full advantage of the security provided by your Web browser and our Web server. Your transactions are encrypted as they travel over the Internet. Your entire online session is secure.

Different browsers use different indicators to show that you are viewing secure pages. You should check your browser's help file to see how it tells you when you have a secure connection. No matter which browser you use, you can verify you have a secure connection by checking the address line of the page you're on. The address of a secure page will begin with "https" rather than "http."

What does 'register this machine' mean?

When you register with Secure Sign-In, you can also choose to register the computer you normally use. If you do, then we can recognize when you sign in from that machine. You will see your secret picture and phrase. These allow you to verify that you are on the First Citizens BOB site. You now know it is safe to enter your Password.

If you choose not to register a machine, then we will ask you one of your challenge questions after you enter your customer ID and user ID. You may choose to register the machine you're using every time you sign in. You should never choose to register a public computer.

What if I forgot the answer to my challenge question?

If you forget the answer to your challenge question you will not be able to sign in. When you registered, you gave us answers to three challenge questions that you selected. When you sign in from an unregistered machine, a random question is presented. If you have forgotten one, you can try to sign in again. If you have forgotten them all, you must call Customer Service at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732).

Why would I need my Secure Sign-In reset?

If you forget your secret picture and phrase or if you forget the answer to your challenge questions, then you may want to have your Secure Sign-In reset. It will not change your customer ID, user ID or password, but the next time you sign in, you must again complete the Secure Sign-In registration.

Can I log in from multiple machines?

Yes. The first time you log in from a different machine, you’ll need to answer a challenge question. If it's a computer you use often, you may choose to register it. Then Secure Sign-In will recognize you on both machines. You should never choose to register a public computer.

Does this service work the same on my laptop as on my desktop at work?

Yes. But if you travel internationally, you may find that you are challenged or denied access from certain countries.

Can I use my account safely at an airport kiosk?

Yes. You will need to answer a challenge question before seeing your secret picture and phrase and being asked for your password. You should never choose to register a public computer.

Does my text phrase have to match the image?

No, your secret picture and secret phrase need not match. However, you need to remember them so you can always know you're at our secure Website.

What if the image presented is not the one I picked?

Never enter your password if you do not see your secret picture and secret phrase.

What if I don’t remember my image?

You must call the Customer Contact Center to have your Secure Sign-In reset. This will allow you to register again the next time you sign in and pick another image.

What if I don’t remember my text phrase?

You must call the Customer Contact Center to have your Secure Sign-In reset. This will allow you to register again the next time you sign in and enter another phrase.

I don’t remember my challenge questions, what do I do?

Your account will be locked after repeated failed attempts. You must call the Customer Contact Center to have your Secure Sign-In reset. This will allow you to register again the next time you sign in and enter another phrase.

I’m locked out, but I didn’t fail any questions. Why? (I was able to log in last time.)

Someone may have typed in your customer and user IDs and answered the questions incorrectly. Usually, this is accidental and a typo on someone's part. This is why you should select a personal and unique user ID. In rare cases, it may be attempted fraud. Call our Customer Contact Center at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) to have your access reset.

How is this new security more secure?

It prevents automated attempts to access your information.

It allows you to know that you are on the First Citizens BOB site before you enter your password.

It allows us to recognize your computer and/or location and present challenge questions to help us verify your identity if necessary.

Do I need to register every time I sign in or change my password?

No. You only need to complete the Secure Sign-In registration one time. If you change or have your password(s) reset by Customer Service, you do not need to register again.

What is a “cookie”? What is a Flash object?

A cookie is a piece of securely coded information that First Citizens sends to your computer when you register. Cookies include a randomly generated, unique number used as a registration identifier. Every time you log in from that same computer, your Web browser sends this cookie to us to let us know that you are using your computer.

Cookies are also used by our online banking services during your session to maintain the connection information between your computer and the bank.

Adobe Flash objects store data in much the same way that cookies do on your computer. If you have Flash installed, we can recognize your computer in the event that you erase all your cookies.

Why does this new security use “cookies” and Flash objects?

One of the ways we recognize you and your computer is by placing a cookie on your computer when you register. When you log in again, your Web browser sends us this cookie that lets us know you are using your computer. The cookie does not contain any personal information.

What if “cookies” are disabled or I erase them? How will you recognize my computer?

If you have Adobe Flash installed on your computer, we will use Flash objects to identify your computer instead of using cookies. However, you must have cookies enabled, or accept the session cookies in order to use Business Online Banking.

What if someone steals my password? How will this new security prevent someone else from accessing my BOB account?

When an unauthorized person tries to log in from another computer, we will recognize that the unauthorized user is at a different computer and/or location. We will ask one of your challenge questions. Without the correct answer, an unauthorized user will not be able to sign in to your account.

Why do I need to set up challenge questions?

Challenge questions help prevent unauthorized users from accessing your BOB account. Even if an unauthorized person has stolen your customer and user IDs and password(s), the challenge questions will foil attempts to log in to your account. If someone signs in from a computer that we don't recognize (for example, if you log 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 secret picture and phrase?

After you complete registration, we only show your secret picture and phrase automatically if you log in from a computer we recognize as yours. If you are at a different computer, we ask one of your challenge questions before showing the secret picture and phrase.

When I enter my customer and user IDs, it asks me a question instead of showing my secret picture and phase. Why?

We want to verify that it's really you logging in to your account. We ask a challenge question when you're signing in from an unrecognizable computer and/or location. Your correct answer confirms that it's really you.

How do I know I'm on the First Citizens BOB site?

After you enter your customer and user IDs, click the Continue button, and your secret picture and phrase will be displayed. That's confirmation that you're at the bank's legitimate Web site. If you do not see your secret picture and phrase and are not asked your challenge question, do not enter your password(s). Since this may represent a fraudulent Web site, please call our Customer Contact Center (1.888.FC DIRECT / 1.888.323.4732) immediately.

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

When you register your computer under the new security, we put a secure cookie and/or Flash Object on your computer. This information contains randomly generated, unique numbers used as an identifier. When you log in again, your Web browser sends us this information to let us know that you're using your computer. The information sent to First Citizens does not contain any personal or account data.

Can I access BOB from multiple computers?

Yes. You can access BOB from any number of computers and enjoy the same protections. If you log in from a computer that you haven't used before, simply 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 want 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 again.

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

Yes. You can use the same computer to log in to your individual BOB accounts safely; you won't see each other's information. Remember not to share your Customer and User IDs, password(s) or answers to your challenge questions.

Can I change my secret picture, phrase and challenge questions?

Yes. Call our Customer Contact Center at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) to reset your secret picture, phrase and challenge questions.

What if I forgot my secret picture or phrase?

Call our Customer Contact Center at 1.888.FC DIRECT (1.888.323.4732) to reset your secret picture, phrase and challenge questions.