How First Horizon Protects You

Our Commitment to Your Security

Protection for First Horizon customers is provided by several security measures creating a safe and reliable online experience.

First, to gain access to First Horizon customer information, users must verify their identity with their unique access information. Second, the entire First Horizon computer system is protected with firewalls, limiting access to First Horizon services to only those customers providing the proper identification. Third, before data is exchanged between the customer and First Horizon, it is encoded or scrambled with key SSL encryption.

The federal government also provides significant protection. Many consumers are unaware that the same laws protecting them in the case of fraudulent credit card usage also protects them in the case of unauthorized online mortgage loan activity.

Firewalls

The Internet was not originally designed for open access by the general public. However, the popularity and acceptance of the Internet is creating the demand for more and more companies to make information available from internal computer systems. For example, your bank would like to offer online banking information via the Internet, but does not want to compromise their extensive computer security systems. One of the ways to meet this need is for the bank to install and maintain a security firewall on our computer network.

Although firewall is a new word for many computer users, the concept is not. Firewalls act much like the manager of a safe deposit box vault. When you visit the bank to add or remove items to your safe deposit box, you aren't allowed to walk into the vault, search for your own box, conduct your business and leave without speaking to anyone. Instead, you must do this with the safe deposit manager. The manager asks to see identification, confirms who you are with a signature card, and then escorts you to your safe deposit box. Together, you enter the vault and only use separate keys to access your safe deposit box. You are then escorted to a small room where you can transact your business in private. When you are done, you simply reverse the process and a notation is made of who and when your safe deposit box was accessed. The same methodology is programmed into today's professional firewalls, which authenticate every request for information, and provide only the information that person is authorized to have while documenting every event.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

All data exchanged over the Internet is divided into small units and sent in envelope type packets. Upon arriving at the computer that requested the information, the packets are reassembled into the original message.

For Internet transactions and communications, you must employ a method of securing these packets as they travel across the Internet. Secure Socket Layer, or SSL, is a leading method for encrypting and decrypting packets of data as they are exchanged using a code known only to the data's sender and recipient. SSL locks the data so that, regardless of the path the data takes as it passes across the Internet, it only can be opened by the end user with the proper key or combination to the lock on the data.

SSL technology is widely accepted today because of the complex combination needed to unlock SSL encrypted data. The bottom line is that even if someone could sift your packets of data out of the trillions passing through the Internet every minute, it would take so long for someone to unlock each of the SSL-protected packets, that the data would be out of date and useless by the time it was reassembled.

Security Alert: Credit and Debit Card Information

Protecting your financial information is very important to us at First Horizon. Our fraud detection systems proactively monitor fraud 24/7. If potential fraud is detected, we will notify you and continue monitoring to further protect you. In the event unauthorized charges do appear on your First Horizon credit or debit card and you notify us within 90 days, you are not liable for them.

In addition to everything we do to protect you, the best thing you can do to protect yourself is to carefully review your statements every month. If you're ever concerned that you might be a victim of fraud or identity theft, call us at (800) 489-2111. We're available 24 hours a day.