Why am I being prompted to select and answer Challenge Questions when I login to Net Banking?
These Challenge Questions are one of a two additional layers of security (New Challenge Questions for password reset and optional Enhanced Login Security feature) Sterling launched October 2006 to help protect the safety of your Personal/Small Business Net Banking account.
Your answers to these questions are unique and can be used to help you reset your password yourself should you forget it, as well as help validate your identity as part of our mandatory Enhanced Login Security (ELS) feature. Our ELS feature will help protect your identity from being accessed by someone other than yourself by adding an extra security level beyond your password.
Once you enroll into this ELS feature, you're all set. The next time you log into the enrolled computer, its business as usual. The rest of your online banking experience will remain exactly the same.
Note: These new Challenge Questions replaced all current Forgotten Password Retrieval questions established. These new questions are harder for others to guess and therefore will provide you with enhanced password security.
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Do I have to answer these Challenge Questions?
Yes. You will be required to select and answer the Challenge Questions in order to reset your password yourself should you forget it, as well as help validate your identitiy to view your account information within Net Banking.
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What happened to the previous challenge questions and answers that I selected for Forgotten Password Retrieval?
These Challenge Questions replaced all current Forgotten Password Retrieval questions established. These new questions are harder for others to guess and therefore will provide you with more enhanced password security.
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What is Enhanced Login Security (ELS)?
Sterling’s new optional Enhanced Login Security (ELS) feature helps to prevent unauthorized access to your Net Banking account by identifying you as the true owner of your accounts, recognizing not only your password but your computer as well. ELS will provide Sterling two factors to verify your identity when you login into Net Banking. 1. Something you know = your User ID and Password and 2. Something you have = your computer.
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How do I register my computer for Enhanced Login Security?
To improve your online security and obtain Enhanced Login Security just follow these simple steps:
Login to Personal/Small Business Net Banking
At the MFA enrollment prompt screen, select either the first or second option and click "Add it Now"
At the confirmation screen, click OK
Click "Continue" at the success screen to continue with your Net Banking session
Note: After enabling the Enhanced Login Security option, if you login from a computer you haven’t used before – you will be prompted to answer your Challenge Questions, mentioned above, as an additional line of defense to prevent unauthorized access.
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Can I enable Enhance Login Security (ELS) on multiple computers?
Yes. You can enroll more than one computer with ELS. Once you have enrolled one computer with ELS, if you login from a non-registered computer the Net Banking system will ask you to verify your identity by asking you to answer your Challenge Questions. You can then enroll the non-registered computer by following these simple steps:
Login to Personal/Small Business Net Banking
Answer your three Challenge Questions when prompted
Select User Options -> Enhanced Login Security -> Add extra security to my account and this computer (default) -> Submit - and you’re all set!
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Should I set the Enhanced Login Security on a public computer at a library or a shared work station?
You should only enable Enhanced Login Security on a computer that you have complete control over. We recommend you do not enable ELS on any public computer.
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I have enrolled my home computer into Enhanced Login Security but not my work computer. When I login to my work computer it prompts me to answer my Challenge Questions but I have forgotten the answers to my Challenge Questions. What should I do?
Please contact the Sterling Internet Banking Department at 1-800-650-7141 during normal business hours (7:00 am to 6:00 pm Pacific Time) for assistance. They will walk you through the next steps you will need to complete.
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What if I don’t want to continue to answer the Challenge Questions each time I login into my work computer?
To avoid answering the Challenge Questions each time you login to Net Banking you can enroll the non-registered computer into Enhanced Login Security. Just follow these simple steps:
Login to Personal/Small Business Net Banking
Answer your three Challenge Questions when prompted
Select User Options -> Enhanced Login Security -> Add extra security to my account and this computer (default) -> Submit - and you’re all set!
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I have enabled the Enhanced Login Security (ELS) feature on my computer. I recently had Sterling Internet Banking re-set my Net Banking password. Will that remove the ELS from my computer?
Yes. Every time the Sterling Internet Banking (IB) Department re-sets your password, ELS will be removed from all your registered computers. To re-enroll your computer in Enhanced Login Security select User Options -> Enhanced Login Security -> Add extra security to my account and to this computer -> Submit.
Note: When you first login with your temporary password upon IB password reset, you will be prompted to change your password. You will also be asked to select and answer new Challenge Questions as this function (Internet Banking resetting your password) will void your existing Challenge Questions and answers.
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Is there a way to remove the Enhanced Login Security feature from my computer?
Yes. Login to Net Banking select User Options -> Enhanced Login Security -> Remove extra security protection from this computer -> Submit. A confirmation screen will verify the removal of ELS.
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Note: Removal of ELS will cause you to be prompted to answer the Challenge Questions you selected each time you login to Net Banking from this computer.
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What happens to Enhanced Login Security if I clear the cookies on my computer?
This will prompt the Net Banking system to ask you the Challenge Questions on next login. Once you login successfully, you will need to
re-enable Enhanced Login Security on your computer. This process will need to be repeated each time you clear the cookies on your computer.
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