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Identity Cues - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1. What is Identity Cues?
A new security feature integrated into your T-bay online experience. Identity Cues, a two-factor authentication approach, establishes a secondary, user- friendly method to identify T-Bay users online. Additionally, it identifies whether a T-Bay user is interacting with the real T-Bay Web site or been redirected to a criminal’s fake Web site that looks like T-Bay. Identity Cues provides increased protection against online fraud and peace-of-mind that your personal financial information will stay just that – personal.

2. Why is Tampa Bay Federal implementing Identity Cues?
Protecting the privacy and security of our members’ personal financial information is always a top priority for Tampa Bay Federal. Many online security measures already exist behind the scenes. Identity Cues adds another layer of protection against online fraud, phishing, unauthorized access, and identity theft.

3. How does Identity Cues identify me?
Identity Cues authenticates you as well as the computer(s) you normally use for access. You continue to type in your account number and password or PIN as always. Identity Cues identifies your computer(s) as the second method of identification. Each computer has its own unique attributes. This information, in addition to your account number and personal password, completes your T-Bay online authentication.

4. How does Identity Cues recognize my computer?
You must identify the computer you login on as trusted or not trusted. A trusted computer is one you normally control like your work or home computer. You should not trust a computer accessed by many people like one at a public library or school. We place a secure cookie on your trusted computer(s). As long as your account number remains the same, trusted computers identified by you, only require the one-time security code the first time you login from that computer. Multiple technologies are used behind the scenes to recognize trusted computers whenever they are used to access T-Bay. If you make significant changes to your computer – for example installing a new operating system or moving to a different country - you may need to make your computer trusted again.

5. What is a “trusted” computer?
A trusted (or recognized) computer is one you normally control like your work or home computer. You should not trust a computer accessed by many people like one at a public library or school. You designate which computer(s) we should trust for your T-Bay online access. We trust it’s you logging into your account because we recognize the computer. By you entering the correct account number and password, the computer being used by you is known to be associated with you – a trusted computer designated by you.

6. What happens when I login from a computer that is “not trusted”?
You must retrieve and enter a one-time security code each time you access T-Bay online from a computer that is not trusted (or unrecognized). T-Bay immediately generates this one-time security code and sends it to you via an email message or SMS text message to your cell phone. Your email address and cell phone number must match what is on your account records at Tampa Bay Federal to receive the one- time security code. This code is required to complete the login to your account on T-Bay. Once logged in, you must identify the computer you logged in on as trusted or not trusted. A trusted computer is one you normally control like your work or home computer. You should not trust a computer accessed by many people like one at a public library or school. As long as your account number remains the same, trusted computers identified by you, only require the one-time security code the first time you login.

7. What happens if I do not have a valid email address or cell number for me and I am unable to retrieve the one-time security code?
You can update your email address and cell phone under My Profile in T-Bay. Additionally, you may contact our Member Solution Center at (813) 247-4414 to retrieve the one-time security code by telephone. If it is necessary to provide the one-time security code in this way, we must adequately identify you by phone in accordance with our security guidelines.

8. How can I update my email address and cell number with Tampa Bay Federal?
You may update your email address and cell phone under the My Profile tab in T-Bay, or by speaking with one of our Member Service associates.

9. How long does it take to receive the email or SMS text message for a one-time security code?
The email response may depend on the speed of your internet service provider; normally it takes less than a minute. SMS text messages typically take only a few seconds.

10. May I have more than one email address or cell number in My Profile on T-Bay?
Yes. Currently, we can maintain one email address for you; one email address for the joint owner on your account, if there is one; and one cell phone number for the account. You may select which one of these you want your one-time security code sent to when you login T-bay from a computer we do not recognize for your account access.

11. May I select where the one-time security code is sent each time I login from a computer I do not trust (or unrecognized computer)?
Yes. You may select where to send the one-time security code from a drop down menu box that appears on the screen. We can maintain one email address for you- one email address for the joint owner on your account, if there is one-and one cell phone number for the account.

12. What is a SMS text message?
Short Message Service (SMS) is a telecommunications protocol that allows the sending of "short" text messages. The service is available on most digital mobile phones and some personal digital assistants (PDA’s). The individual messages which are sent are called text messages. SMS allows us to send you one-time security codes from T-Bay to your cell phone.

13. May I receive an SMS text message to any cell phone number?
You must designate a cell phone number under My Profile in T-Bay. Our SMS network coverage is very extensive, and includes all major wireless carriers. You may not receive a SMS text message to your current cell phone number if that number was transferred over (or ported over) from your previous wireless carrier to your current carrier so you could maintain the same number. This is known as a portability issue and not supported in our current environment.

14. Will you ever ask me challenge questions such as “What is your mother’s maiden name?” through T-Bay online?
No, we NEVER ask you such questions to verify or authenticate your identity when logging into T-Bay. In general, you should be very careful answering such questions online because if a criminal obtains sensitive information by asking such questions on a fake Web site he may be able to steal your identity. You may be asked challenge questions by a member of our Service Team to verify your identity by phone, or even in person, but never on T-Bay or by email.

15. How long is the one-time security code valid?
For security reasons, your login session drives the one-time security code. Once you close a login session or it times out, the one-time security sent to you is no longer valid. You must enter the security code in the same window session that you initiated your login to T-Bay and that generated the one-time security code.

16. Will the one-time security code be the same each time I login to T-Bay from a computer not designated as trusted by me?
No. Each time you login from a computer you do not trust, a unique one-time security code is sent to you. You cannot reuse a one-time security code.

17. May I designate multiple trusted computer(s)?
Yes, you may designate multiple computers as a trusted computer. Each time you login from an unrecognized computer, you will be asked whether to trust this computer, or not trust this computer, in the future.

18. May a computer be recognized as a trusted computer for multiple T-Bay users?
Yes. Multiple T-Bay users have the ability to set the same computer as trusted. It is necessary for each user to login to T-Bay and designate it as a trusted computer for his/her own account access.

19. Do I have the ability to change a computer from trusted to one I do not trust?
It is possible to remove the trusted status from a computer by contacting our Member Solution Center at (813)-247-4414.

20. How does Identity Cues let me know I am at the real T-Bay website?
An additional feature of Identity Cues generates your own personal visual cue. The visual cue is a box with a colored background and a simple word like “Cat” or “Dog”. Your account number will always generate the same visual cue every time you attempt to log on to T-Bay. The only time your personal cue would change is if you change your account number. This feature adds another layer of protection because only Tampa Bay Federal’s Web site can generate your personal visual cue.

21. What is a visual cue?
A visual cue is a colored box with basic text inside it such as simple word like “Cat” or “Dog”. Your personal visual cue appears as you login to T-Bay online from a trusted computer.

22. May I select my own visual cue?
No, your visual cue generates dynamically based on your account number. Only our legitimate T-Bay servers can produce the correct cue. This provides strong protection against fraudulent activity like phishing.

23. How often does my visual cue change?
Your account number will always generate the same visual cue every time you attempt to login to T-Bay. Your cue only changes if you change your account number.

24. What do I do if I do not recognize the visual cue on my screen?
If you see the wrong cue, a broken image or error message in the colored box, or if no cue appears, DO NOT CONTINUE as this may indicate a phishing scam where a criminal is trying to trick you into giving him your password with a fraudulent Web site that looks like T-Bay online. Instead, promptly call us at (813)-247-4414 or email us.

25. If I designate multiple trusted computers to access T-Bay, will my visual cue be the same or different for each?
Your visual cue will be the SAME for each computer. Your visual cue only changes if you change your account number.

26. What happens if I upgrade the operating system (Windows XP; Mac OS X, etc) on my trusted computer, or change the Web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, etc…)?
As a security precaution, your computer may not be recognized as a trusted computer when you login to T-Bay the next time, and require a one-time security code to login. You can then designate it as a trusted computer again.

27. Who should I call if I have further questions?
You may call our Member Solution Center at (813) 247-4414.