Security FAQs
FAQs
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Insurance protection
As a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), funds are available to meet customer claims up to a ceiling of $500,000, including a maximum of $250,000 for cash claims. For additional information regarding SIPC coverage, including a brochure, please contact SIPC at (202) 371-8300 or visit www.sipc.org .Our clearing firm, Apex Clearing, has also purchased an additional insurance policy through a group of London Underwriters (with Lloyd's of London Syndicates as the Lead Underwriter) to supplement SIPC protection. This policy becomes available to customers in the event that SIPC limits are exhausted and provides protection for securities and cash up to an aggregate of $150 million. This insurance is provided to pay amounts in addition to those returned in a SIPC liquidation proceeding. It’s limited to a combined return to any customer from a Trustee, SIPC and London Underwriters of $37.5 million, including cash of up to $900,000. Like SIPC protection, it doesn’t protect against a loss in the market value of securities.
Rest Easy Knowing We'll Keep Your Assets Safe
The security and privacy of your personal and account information are important to Ally Invest. Our approach to protect it encompasses technological, process and procedural measures. Here's an overview of what we do to keep your account secure.Firewalls and Secure Socket Layering (SSL) Technology
Ally Invest has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. The secure site area uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology to provide a secure environment for all transactions. When you submit sensitive information via our website, your information is encrypted online (look for the padlock icon on your browser to verify security). We maintain electronic safeguards, such as firewalls, to maintain the confidentiality of your information.Username and password security
Ally Invest will never request your username or password or your personal information, except during the login process. To protect the security of your account, Ally Invest will not provide or confirm your password to any third party. No one from Ally Invest will ever request your password whether online, on the phone, or in person. If you forget your password, you will be able to reset it online at any time.Limit on Failed Login Attempts
To protect your account from unauthorized users, Ally Invest blocks access to your account after a set number of unsuccessful login attempts. To restore access to your account after exceeding the limit on failed logins, you must contact Customer Service. Once we determine that no unauthorized activity has occurred in your account, your access will be restored.Account Privacy and Security Policies and Procedures
We go to great lengths to ensure your account will not be compromised. At the same time, we want to offer you easy access to the array of products and services you need to accomplish your goals. Ally Invest provides investment brokerage services by means of its own internal operation and those of its clearing firm and other unaffiliated third party providers such as mutual funds and variable product sponsors. Ally Invest acts as an introducing broker to its clearing firm, which in turn processes the transactions and acts as the account custodian. Your information is segregated in our offices and servers. Only Ally Invest employees and third-party service providers who need information to perform a specific service will ever be granted access to your information. Furthermore, all employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices and our service providers are contractually obligated to keep information confidential. The standards we adhere to are covered in our Privacy and Security Policy .If you have any further questions about what we do to protect the security of your account, feel free to call an Ally Invest broker at 1-855-880-2559. We'll be glad to help.
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Login attempts from other computers are possible, but you may be required to enter a security code to prevent unauthorized access. We encourage you not to designate a computer that doesn’t belong to you as an authorized computer as this will compromise the security of your account.
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The security and privacy of your personal and account information are important to Ally Invest. Our approach to protect it encompasses technology, processes and procedures.
Firewalls and Secure Socket Layering (SSL) Technology
Ally Invest has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. The secure site area uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology to provide a secure environment for all transactions. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is encrypted online (look for the padlock icon on your browser to verify security). We maintain electronic (such as firewalls) safeguards to maintain the confidentiality of your information.Username and Password Security
Ally Invest will never request your username or your password. To protect the security of your account, Ally Invest will not provide or confirm your password. No one from Ally Invest will ever request your password. If you forget your password, you will be able to reset it online at any time.Failed Login Attempts
To protect your account from unauthorized users, Ally Invest blocks access to your account after a set number of unsuccessful login attempts. To restore access to your account, you must contact us. Once we determine that no unauthorized activity has occurred, we'll restore your access and help you log in.Policies and Procedures
We believe that your privacy should never be compromised. At the same time, we want to offer you the array of products and services you need to accomplish your goals. Ally Invest provides investment brokerage services by means of its own internal operation and those of its clearing firm and other unaffiliated third party providers such as mutual funds and variable product sponsors. Ally Invest acts as an introducing broker to its clearing firm, which in turn processes the transactions and acts as the account custodian. Your information is segregated in our offices and servers. Only employees and third-party service providers who need the information to perform a specific service are granted access to your information. Furthermore, all employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices and our service providers are contractually obligated to keep information confidential. The standards we adhere to are covered in our Privacy and Security Policy. -
You may be required to enter a security code when logging in from a different device or browser, a location that is not recognized, after clearing your cookies and data, or following upgrades of programs or settings on your device. This will help prevent people other than you from accessing your account from unknown computers.
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We Go the Extra Yard to Maximize Your Account Protection.
We Suggest You Do, Too.
Ally Invest employs security and encryption technologies to protect client accounts. We also periodically augment our account security measures and policies in an effort to stay current with the latest threats. As we enhance our security measures, we may communicate with you via email and special homepage announcements to keep you abreast of changes.
In the meantime, here's what you can do on your part to maximize your account protection:
Monitor Your Account
Check your account, your statements and your confirmations often to verify all transactions and report anything suspicious to us immediately. You can call us at 1-855-880-2559 to report any unusual activity.Use E-mail Safely
One way hackers now try to infiltrate your account is by sending spam emails. Here's a common scheme: when the recipient clicks on any link in the email, a keystroke-logging program downloads onto the user's computer without his or her knowledge. That program keeps track of all keystrokes the user inputs, then emails them to the hacker, who then finds your account passwords.Don't open an attachment unless you know the sender and expect the attachment. Even your friends can unknowingly send you a keylogger or a virus through their email. If you get an email with an attachment from a stranger, delete it immediately. You don't even have to open the attachment: just opening the email message can make your computer vulnerable.
Scan all attachments with a virus detection program before downloading.
By filtering out spam email, you cut down the number of possible viruses and spyware sent to your inbox. Spam filters can recognize harmful or unsolicited email and stop it before it gets to you.
Opening email from spammers or replying to them confirms that your email address is valid, which can prompt more spam to be sent to your inbox.
Turn off the "preview pane" if you are using Outlook or Outlook Express; the preview function can allow some viruses to be executed even if you never open the email.
Beware of Online Scams
Phishing is a scam intended to obtain your personal information, usually a user name and password. In these scams, thieves develop a web site that looks very close or exactly like an authentic site, with the same or very similar colors, logo and text. These fake sites prompt you to enter your personal information, which the thieves who created the site then can use to access your accounts.To protect yourself, make sure you are at a legitimate web site address (URL) when you enter your user name or ID and password. You can do this by quickly looking at the web address in the top browser bar. The address for a fake version of a page might vary slightly from the legitimate one. Note the "s" in the "https" at the beginning of a legitimate secure address, which indicates that you are at a secure site. A legitimate secure site will automatically send you its security certificate, prompting your browser to display a small padlock icon at the bottom right of the browser frame. This is a cue that the site is secure.
Email is often used as a way to direct you to fake sites used in phishing scams. As a rule, whenever an email message or other hyperlink leads you to a page where you are prompted to log on, take a close look at the URL to which you are taken. To be extra safe, go to the web site by typing the address into a new browser window instead of following a link sent in an email.
You might even receive a phishing email that appears as if it came from Ally Invest. If you receive a suspicious email request from Ally Invest, please do not comply with the contents of the email. Instead, call us at 1-855-880-2559 or forward the email to support@invest.ally.com with your concern.
Protect Your Computer
Avoid accessing your account from public computers or on open wireless networks. Public computers found at internet cafes, libraries, hotels, etc. can be accessed by "hackers" who may have installed software in them to record your key-strokes before they are encrypted by the browser you are using to access the internet. It's like someone standing over your shoulder, looking at everything you type. If you're ever in doubt about the security of an open wireless network, don't use it. Shut off wireless connectivity or remove the wireless network card if you leave your computer unattended, and disable wireless ad hoc mode (this prohibits networks that you didn't create from using your wireless software). Finally, disable file and printer sharing capabilities.Protect your home computer against new viruses or other attacks with software like Avast!, McAfee or Norton Anti-Virus. Anti-spyware software like AdAware or SpyBot can reduce your risk of worms and other spam-delivered viruses. Best of all, most of this protection is free of charge - so why not take advantage of it? You can also test your system for vulnerabilities using the Shields UP! service.
Configure all software for automatic updates. System, anti-virus and anti-spyware software require frequent updates to keep pace with new risks.
Use the latest version of your web browser. Strong encryption protects your information as it travels over the Internet. Older web browsers may not support the highest strength 128- bit encryption.
We recommend [cnet.com] for reviews on the best resources for your online security.(The resources cited here are for your use, at your own risk. Ally Invest shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage, direct or indirect, from any non-performance, defective performance or late performance of any third-party program or equipment, due to any cause whatsoever, including errors due solely to malfunction of any third party-controlled equipment or programs or failure or negligence of third party suppliers, operators or programmers. In no event will Ally Invest be liable for any punitive, incidental, indirect, special or consequential damages, including, but not limited to, loss of use, loss of data, loss of revenues, profits or savings, or damage or loss of any computer or communications).
Protect Your Network
Install a hardware or software-based internet firewall solution. Use of a wireless network presents several security concerns. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the standard encryption that wireless devices use. However, there are applications that can be easily obtained that can break that encryption. When WEP is used, make sure you only access personal information through Web sites that use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL). You also should use.-
128-bit WEP encryption.
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Use MAC filtering to block access to unknown devices.
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Change your wireless network name and encryption keys periodically.
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Change any default passwords for administering your wireless access point.
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Do not advertise your wireless network name (SSID). This is referred to as operating in "closed network" mode.
Protect your username and password
Ally Invest will not request your login or password or your personal information by email. To protect the security of your account, Ally Invest will not provide or confirm your password to any third parties. No one from Ally Invest will ever request your password. If you forget your password, you will be able to reset it online at any time.Always use a password that is difficult for others to guess. Do not use obvious data, such as your name, initials, Social Security number, phone number, license plates, address, birthdays, names of friends, families, or pets, the word "password", company names, words in the dictionary, sequences of numbers, or keyboard characters. Use special characters and a mix of letters and numbers. A good way to create a secure password that is easy to remember but hard to guess is to use the first letter of a memorable phrase and insert or substitute some special characters.
Change your password frequently.
Do not use the same user ID/password combination for your Ally Invest account that you use for other online accounts.Never share your username and password with anyone. Avoid writing that information down or storing it anywhere but in your head. If you distribute your password to third-parties, you assume responsibility for their actions.
Don't include personal information, such as account or Social Security numbers, in any email you send.
Disable any automatic sign-in ("auto complete") functions on your browser, so that passwords won't be stored on your computer.
Empty the browser memory storage area. After you have finished your session at Ally Invest, log off, close your browser completely, and erase any information that may have been stored on your computer by your browser.
Last, set your automated account logoff to a reasonable time, to help ensure that you never leave your personal information unattended.
If you have any further questions about what you can do to optimize the security of your account, feel free to call an Ally Invest broker at 1-855-880-2559 . We'll be glad to help.
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