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Online Client Security

Information & Account Security

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Is my information on smithbarney.com secure?

We maintain your personal information and data according to strict standards of security and confidentiality (Privacy Statement) as described in the Terms and Conditions that govern your use of this site. Online access to your account portfolio is through a secure (SSL capable) web browser. SSL capable web browsers support encryption technology, which helps prevent unauthorized users from viewing your account information as it travels over the Internet.

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What security measures do we provide?

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What additional steps can I take to enhance my online security?

Our commitment to providing a secure information environment is only part of the overall security framework equation. Here is what you can do to enhance your online security:

• 1. Never reveal your online login information to anyone. Your login information is designed to protect the privacy of your account information, but will only work if you keep them private.
• 2. Change your passwords often. If you think your online passwords have been compromised, you should change them immediately and contact our Online Client Service Center at 1-800-221-3636, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• 3. Don't leave your computer unattended while using smithbarney.com. Once you have completed using our site, always sign off using the Log Off button. For additional peace of mind, close your browser window before leaving your computer.
• 4. Delete any emails from unknown sources immediately, before opening the email.
• 5. Avoid clicking on any links in unsolicited email, particularly emails that ask (either directly or by pointing to a website) for personal, financial, or identity information including asking for you to update your email or password. Instead, directly type the website destination into your browser or use a trusted bookmark to verify the site or to log into your account directly.
• 6. If you receive an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that an account of yours will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing, credit or security information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the company cited in the email using a telephone number or website address you know to be genuine such as those listed on your statements or the back of your credit cards.
• 7. Avoid sending personal and financial information over the Internet. Before submitting financial information through a website, look for the padlock icon on your browser's status bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission. If you double-click on the padlock, you can view the security certificate. The URL in the "Issued to" field for legitimate Morgan Stanley Smith Barney sites will end in "smithbarney.com."

  

• 8. Microsoft for IE:

  Step 1: Set Your Browser Security to HighTo raise the security level at which you browse the web with Internet Explorer:

  • On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.
  • In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab and then click the Internet icon.
  • Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to High. This sets the security level for all websites you visit to High. (If no slider is visible, click the Default Level button and then move the slider to High.)

  Note: The High setting may cause some websites to work improperly. If you have difficulty using a website after you change this setting and you are sure the site is safe to use, you can add that site to your list of trusted sites. This will allow the site to work properly even with the high security setting.

  Step 2: Add Safe Websites to Trusted SitesSetting the Internet Explorer security level to High may prevent some websites from working properly, including Microsoft Windows® Update. If you have difficulty using a website after you change this setting and you trust that it is safe to use, you can add that site to your list of trusted sites, which will allow the site to work properly.

  Important: Microsoft strongly recommends that the first website you add to your trusted sites be Windows Update (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) so that you can continue to install important software updates directly from the Windows Update website.To add a website to your list of trusted sites:

  • 1. On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.
  • 2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab.
  • 3. Click the Trusted sites icon, and then click the Sites button.
  • 4. In the Trusted sites dialog box, enter the website URL in the Add this website to the zone box, and then click Add. The Trusted sites feature allows you to restrict trust to only sites that begin with https: To include sites that begin with http:, including Windows Update, clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone checkbox. Trusted site added. We recommend that you make Windows Update the first site you add.
  • 5. Click OK.
  • 6. Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to Medium. This sets the security level for all of the sites that you trust to Medium. (If no slider is visible, click the Default Level button and then move the slider up to Medium.)

  Step 3: Read email Messages in Plain TextTo help increase your email security, set Outlook or Outlook Express to read all messages you receive as plain text, rather than HTML.To read messages in plain text in Outlook Express:

  • 1.On the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options.
  • 2. In the Options dialog box, click the Read tab.
  • 3. Select the checkbox to Read all messages in plain text.
  • 4. Click OK.
  To read messages in plain text in Outlook:
  • 1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options.
  • On the Preferences tab in the Options dialog box, click the email Options button.
  • 2. In the email Options dialog box, select the checkbox to Read all standard mail in plain text.
  • 3. Click OK to close the email Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.

  Step 4: Block Pop-Up Windows in Your BrowserTo help protect your computer from malicious pop-up windows in your browser, use a utility that prevents them from opening. Some websites use these small browser windows to display advertisements, and in some cases, offensive content. Attackers also may use pop-up windows disguised as ads or offers to install malicious code on your computer.

  A pop-up blocker is a utility you can add to your browser that prevents these windows from opening. Many pop-up blockers are compatible with Internet Explorer, including the free MSN toolbar.

  Source: http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/settings.mspx
• 9. Disable scripting features in email programs. Because many email programs use the same code as web browsers to display HTML, vulnerabilities that affect ActiveX, Java, and JavaScript are often applicable to email as well as web pages. Therefore, in addition to disabling scripting features in web browsers, we recommend that users also disable these features in their email programs.
• 10. Make regular backups of critical data. Keep a copy of important files on removable media such as ZIP disks or recordable CD-ROM disks (CD-R or CD-RW disks). Use software backup tools if available, and store the backup disks somewhere away from the computer.
• 11. Don't share access to your computers with strangers. Learn about file sharing risks. Your computer operating system may allow other computers on a network, including the Internet, to access the hard-drive of your computer in order to "share files." This ability to share files can be used to infect your computer with a virus or look at the files on your computer if you don't pay close attention. So, unless you really need this ability, make sure you turn off file-sharing. Check your operating system and your other program help files to learn how to disable file sharing. Don't share access to your computer with strangers.
  Source: http://www.staysafeonline.info/

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What is encryption?

Encryption is the scrambling of information by your web browser as it is transmitted over the Internet to protect your confidentiality and information. We use 128-bit encryption to ensure that your personal information is secure.

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What is the difference between 40- and 128-bit encryption?

With 40-bit encryption, there are billions of possible keys to decipher the coded information, and only one of them works.

The effectiveness (or level of security) for encryption is measured in terms of how long the key is-the longer the key, the longer it would take for someone without the correct "decoder" to break the code. This is measured in bits: 40-bit encryption, the level of encryption used with many ordinary browsers, and 128-bit encryption, the strongest form of encryption available for financial or confidential transactions over the Internet today.

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How do I check to see if a website is encrypted?

Only do business with Internet companies that use a secure form to capture private information. To verify your session is secure, look for "https:" instead of "http:" in the URL address line, as well as the padlock icon on your browser's status bar.

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Can I tell that SSL is in effect?

SSL (pronounced as separate letters) short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data that's transferred over the SSL connection. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer support SSL, and many websites use the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http:.

Source: http://www.webopedia.com

The URL of a secure document begins with HTTPS://. The additional "S" on the end of the familiar HTTP indicates a secure channel to the server. In Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the security icon is a padlock. The hasp of the padlock will be closed once a secured channel is established.

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What are cookies?

A cookie is a small piece of information that is stored on your hard drive or computer by a web server. Your browser stores each message in a small file, called cookie.txt. Cookies allow an enhanced use of the website by improving its performance and by easily identifying users to prepare a customized web experience for them. Features on the site like the Log Off button use cookies to allow you to end your session without closing your browser.

A cookie set by smithbarney.com cannot be read by any other website. Only the website that has set the cookie can read it. Most of the cookies that are set will last only through a single session, or visit (these are called session cookies). As soon as you leave our website or exit your browser, the cookie expires. The other type of cookie is a persistent cookie that is used for example, on the homepage. A persistent cookie will not expire when you leave the website.

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Can I enable cookies?

Please follow the instructions below that match your browser type and version to enable cookie settings.

If you are using AOL, please check your browser version and follow the appropriate instructions below. For additional assistance, please contact your Internet Service Provider.

If you're using Internet Explorer 6.0:

If you're using Internet Explorer 5.x:

If you're using Netscape Navigator 6.x or 7.x:

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Does smithbarney.com use cookies?

This site does use cookies. A cookie is a small piece of information that is stored on your browser by a web server. Your browser stores each message in a small file, called cookie.txt. Cookies allow an enhanced use of the website by improving its performance and by easily identifying users to prepare a customized web experience for them. Features on the site like the Log Off button use cookies to allow you to end your session without closing your browser.

A cookie set by smithbarney.com cannot be read by any other website. Only the website that has set the cookie can read it. Most of the cookies that we set will last only through a single session, or visit (these are called session cookies). As soon as you leave our website or exit your browser, the cookie expires. The other type of cookie is a persistent cookie that is used for example, on the homepage. A persistent cookie will not expire when you leave the website.

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What is a cache?

A cache stores recently-used information in a place where it can be accessed quickly. For example, a web browser like Internet Explorer uses a cache to store the pages, images, and URLs of recently visited websites on your hard drive. With this strategy, when you visit a page you have recently been to, the pages and images don't have to be downloaded to your computer all over again. Because accessing your computer's hard drive is much faster than accessing the Internet, caching websites can speed up web browsing significantly. Most web browsers allow you to adjust the size of the cache in the browser preferences.

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Can people who use my computer see my personal information?

It's possible for others to see personal information, such as an online bank statement or a check image, though there are ways to prevent this. But first, it's helpful to understand why you need to take these precautions.

If you're using a Microsoft® Windows PC running either a Netscape® browser or Microsoft® Internet Explorer, then a copy of your statement may be saved automatically on your computer's hard drive or in its cache. As a result, others using your computer may be able to see your statement. Here's how to make sure this doesn't happen.

First, make sure you've set up Internet Explorer (IE) correctly. If you do, when you close IE it will automatically delete any copies of your statement from a computer running Microsoft® Windows. (Netscape® does this automatically, so you don't have to adjust any settings.) Here's how to set up IE 5.x and 6.X the right way:

You also have to exit your browser properly, no matter which one you're using. Here's the right way to end your session:

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How do I clear personal data from my hard drive?

If you can't close your browser properly (when there's an application error, for example), you can manually clear personal information, such as your online bank statement or check images, from the hard drive. Here's how to do this under Microsoft® Windows:

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How do I clear personal data from the cache?

Here's how to clear personal information, such as your online bank statement or a check image, from your computer's cache:

Microsoft® Windows:

Netscape®

AOL®

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