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General FAQs

How can I tell if your website is secure?
To ensure the security of loan data, all data is transferred using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. Nonetheless, we cannot completely guarantee the confidentiality of transmissions over the Internet, including your transmission of personal information to Firstmark Services. If you do not see a lock at the bottom of your browser or 'https' in the address bar above, you may do one of two things. First, you may right click on the page and select 'Properties' from the menu if you are using Internet Explorer. When these windows are displayed, you will see 'https' in the address bar or location field respectively, indicating that the page is using SSL. Secondly, you may right click and open the page in a new window. There, you will see the 'https' in the address bar and you will see the lock at the bottom of your browser. You may also click the VeriSign link at the bottom to view that a third party, VeriSign, has verified that our site is secure.

I'm a student borrower - what if I have more questions?
You can review the FAQ specific to borrowers and their co-signers here.

What is Multifactor Online Security?
Multifactor Online Security is an online security feature that will provide you additional protection from fraud and identity theft. Multifactor Online Security helps prevent unauthorized access to your accounts by providing multiple security layers for a user to access an account.

Why do I need to use Multifactor Online Security?
Multifactor Online Security will allow us to recognize you as the true owner of your account by recognizing not only your login information but also your computer. If we don't recognize your computer, we will request additional information that is known by you, to help ensure authorized access.

How does Multifactor Online Security work?
Multifactor Online Security works by placing a secure cookie unique to your logon and computer on your personal computer. The cookie is used each time you login to help identify that you are the user. If this cookie is not present we ask you to provide additional information to authenticate. Please note that if you use multiple browsers within the same computer you may need to add extra security to each browser separately. In order to do this you will need to log in with the additional browser that you would like to add extra security protection to.

How do you recognize my computer?
When you request that we remember a computer you no longer need to answer the security questions, a secure cookie will be placed on your computer. This secure cookie is unique, and when used in combination with your login information, creates a unique way to identify you to the system. For every login attempt after you add extra security to one computer, this secure cookie is validated along with the login identification you normally enter. This secure cookie is only used by Firstmark Services to validate your identity and does not contain any personal information.

What can I do to make logging in easy?
To make your login into Firstmark Services easy, we recommend that you check remember this computer on each computer that you will regularly use to access your account.

What will happen if I delete cookies from this computer?
If you delete cookies from this computer the secure cookie will be removed from the computer and all future logins from this computer will require you to provide more information about yourself that only you will know until you request the computer to be remembered again. At that time a new cookie will be placed.

How does Multifactor Online Security protect me?
Multifactor Online Security allows us to know that it's really you logging into your account. We know it's you because we may recognize your computer AND your login information. If we do not recognize your computer, then you will be asked for additional information that is known by you.

Can I login from multiple computers and browsers?
Yes, you can login from as many different computers and browsers as you like. If you login from a computer that you haven't accepted a cookie from you will be asked for additional information so that we can verify that it's really you. If you provide this information correctly you will have the option to remember that computer and avoid being asked for this extra information again. Please note that if you use multiple browsers within the same computer you will need to enroll each browser separately.

Can I still login to my account from anywhere?
Yes, this feature does not prevent you from logging in from any computer. If we do not recognize the computer that you are using then we will simply ask for additional information that only you know before allowing you access.

Why do I keep getting asked for extra information when I login from a computer that I have requested to be remembered?
This is probably happening because the secure cookie that was placed within your browser is getting deleted.

What if I delete my cookie regularly?
If you delete your cookie regularly you will be asked for additional security information each time the cookie is removed.

How do I enable cookies?
For Internet Explorer:
1. Click the Tools menu.
2. Select Internet Options.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Click the Default button (or manually slide the bar down to 'Medium').
5. Click the OK button.

If you use Firefox:
1. Click the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Select the 'Accept cookies from sites' checkbox.
5. Click the OK button.