Your security and privacy are of the utmost importance to Sunmark. That's why we use multiple levels of security and choose trusted partners to provide online services, designed especially to protect your sensitive information. Your information is protected both online and otherwise using technologic and physical measures employed by Sunmark and our trusted partners.

Online Security

We use 128-bit SSL encryption.
The security of the communications between you (your browser) and our servers is ensured using cryptography. Cryptography scrambles messages exchanged between your browser and our online banking server. Encryption happens as follows: When you go to the sign-on page for online banking, your browser establishes a secure session with our server. The secure session is established using a protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Encryption. This protocol requires the exchange of what are called public and private keys. Keys are random numbers chosen for that session and are only known between your browser and our server. After the keys are exchanged, your browser will use the numbers to scramble (encrypt) the messages sent between your browser and our server. Both sides require the keys because they need to de-scramble (decrypt) the messages when they are received. The SSL protocol not only ensures privacy, but also ensures that no other browser can "impersonate" your browser, nor alter any of the information sent. You can tell whether your browser is in secure mode by looking for the secured lock symbol at the bottom of your browser window.

The numbers used as encryption keys are analogous to combination locks. The strength of encryption is based on the number of possible combinations that a lock can have. As the number of possible combinations grows, it becomes less likely that anyone would be able to guess the combination in order to decrypt the message. That's why we use 128-bit SSL encryption. Check your browser to determine the level of encryption that your browser supports.

We maintain Firewalls for your protection.
All firewalls are located in a controlled environment. All data and access to our servers are filtered by the perimeter firewalls before reaching any Web servers. System integrity checks of the firewalls and other network perimeter access control systems are performed on a regular basis.

Additional Security Features:
We provide a number of additional security features in SunLink. Online banking will "time out" after a specified period of inactivity. This prevents curious persons from continuing your home banking session in case you have left your PC unattended without logging out. You may set the time out period in the User Options screen of online banking. However, we recommend that you always log out when your are done with your online banking session.

While the architecture is too complex to explain here, it is important to point out that the computers that store your actual account information are not hooked up to the Internet. The requests you make through the Internet are handled by online banking servers, which retrieve the information you requested from a mainframe via proxy-based firewall servers, these servers act as the go-between you and the mainframe computer.

Authorization

Your password is how we verify your authorization to use SunLink.
We verify that only authorized persons log into SunLink by requiring you to enter your password. When you submit your password, it is compared with the password we have stored in our secure data center. We allow you to enter your password incorrectly 3 times before your account will be locked. In order to re-initialize the account, you must contact us.

Password hints:

• Never use passwords that are easy to guess. Examples of bad passwords are : Birth dates, first names, pet names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, etc.
• Never reveal your password to another person.
• Periodically change your password in the User Option screen of SunLink.