It is important that you take steps to protect your information on your personal computer. SchoolCash Online is a protected environment which meets the highest Internet security standards. While we take strong measures to ensure the security of your financial transactions and the confidentiality of your information, it is extremely important that you also take precautions to ensure that your information remains safe and secure. We advise customers to read about these topics and follow the recommended safe computing practices:
Protect Your Privacy:
Use caution before answering online and email requests for your personal information.
SchoolCash Online will never present you with unexpected web pages or send you unsolicited emails asking for your confidential information, such as your password, PIN, Access Code, credit card, account number, security questions etc. We will never ask you to validate or restore your account access through unsolicited email.
Do not respond to unsolicited emails or websites that request personal information. Report any suspicious requests to SchoolCash Online immediately.
Protect your SchoolCash Online Password.
Your SchoolCash Online password is confidential and must never be shared with any outside person or company, including:
In divulging your password, you contravene the terms of your SchoolCash Accountholder Agreement and you will be fully liable for any unauthorized access to your accounts and all associated losses arising from these disclosures.
Pick a password that is difficult to guess by using a combination of letters and numbers (nothing obvious). In fact, if you're still using a numeric password, please change it now.
Memorize your SchoolCash Online password and keep it secret. If you suspect your password has been compromised, please change your password immediately or call 1.866.961.1803.
For special numeric-only codes, which are different from your sign-on password (such as your Access Code), select a code that is easy to remember but do NOT select your birth date, telephone number, license plate, address or other easy-to-guess combinations. If you have numbers in your sign-on password, don't use them in your Access Code. Memorize your Access Code, do not write it down and NEVER tell anyone what it is.
Always keep your security questions and answers confidential - do not share them with anyone. SchoolCash Online will never ask you to set up or confirm your questions or answers by telephone, fax or email.
Never send confidential information (such as account numbers of any type, password, Access Code, etc.) via email.
Avoid using software that records your passwords so that you don't need to enter them the next time you access a website from the same computer. This type of software could give other users of your computer access to your accounts.
Avoid accidentally agreeing to have your Internet activity monitored by other parties by carefully reading the terms of any software you download and free services you accept online before you download them.
Always type in the website address or use your bookmarks to access SchoolCash Online:
https://www.SchoolCashOnline.com
Do not leave your computer unattended while logged on to SchoolCash Online.
Do not use public computers (e.g., Internet cafés or libraries) to access SchoolCash Online because they could have viruses or malicious programs that record every keystroke, or capture usernames and passwords.
Always log off when you're finished your SchoolCash Online session.
Clear your browser's cache after each SchoolCash Online session. Each time you access the Internet, your browser automatically saves a copy of the web pages you've visited. Diligently clearing your browser's cache after each session is an important step in safeguarding your account information.
Review your account statements and/or online account transaction details promptly and report any discrepancies immediately. With SchoolCash Online, you can review your up-to-date account transactions and therefore identify any discrepancies immediately. Contact numbers can be found on the website at http://www.SchoolCashOnline.com
Use Anti-Virus Software:
Whenever you use your personal computer and the Internet, there is a potential risk of contracting a computer virus or the possibility of infiltration by intrusion software commonly known as "Trojan Horses". Computer viruses can modify programs, delete files and erase the contents of hard drives. "Trojan Horses" can have similar effects and may be able to capture keystrokes, including passwords or other secret information. Spyware and other deceptive software can also conduct certain activities on your computer without your knowledge or consent.
The potential consequences of any of these threats could include damage to your personal computer, compromise of your secret information and the inability to use SchoolCash Online.
For these reasons, we advise our customers to follow these practices:
Warning about 'free' services and software offering faster web surfing and email virus scanning: We strongly advise you to carefully read the terms of any free services you accept or software you download online before you accept them. They are known to sometimes include your consent to having all of your Internet browsing activity, including secure transactions monitored. In consenting to such terms, you may allow the service provider to collect highly personal information such as your bank account and credit card numbers and passwords. Your SchoolCash Online password is confidential and must never be shared with any outside person or company. In divulging your password, you contravene the terms of your SchoolCash Accountholder Agreement and you will be fully liable for any unauthorized access to your accounts and all associated losses arising from these disclosures.
Protect Your Internet Connection:
There are additional vulnerabilities associated with having a computer directly connected to the Internet for an extended period of time. This applies to all users but it is extremely important for users with cable modem or digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access. These methods of connection do not require 'dialing' into the Internet and thus are sometimes described as 'always on' connections. Unfortunately, as long as the computer remains 'on' and connected to the Internet, malicious parties have a continuous window of opportunity for attacks on the user's personal computer.
If you use a cable modem or DSL connection for Internet access, you can limit this security risk by disconnecting from the Internet when your session is complete, or by turning off the cable or DSL modem. However, if you want to continue to take advantage of the 'always on' feature of cable and DSL connections or if you run extended dial-up sessions on the Internet, we recommend the following security measures be taken:
Disable File Sharing on Your Personal Computer
File sharing is a feature of Windows‡ that allows other computers to access your personal computer, even from across the Internet. Microsoft‡ has provided instructions on how to disable file sharing in Windows Help (Click Start, Help, then choose the 'Index' tab and type "file sharing, disabling").
Our recommendation is to disable file sharing. However, if you choose to retain this option for your particular environment, exercise due care and apply appropriate security measures.
Install a Personal Firewall
Install and frequently update a proven personal firewall product, such as Personal Firewall Plus1 Zone Alarm, that can be configured to prevent unauthorized access to your personal computer and keep it up-to-date.
Get Computer Security Updates
Ensure that you are using a legally licensed operating system. You may be able to improve the security of your system by getting updates to help correct issues that may make your computer vulnerable to virus or worm attacks. As such, you should diligently apply security patches as they become available.
If you have a wireless network, there are additional measures that should be taken to protect your Internet connection:
Use encryption - enable the highest level of encryption available for your router; newer wireless routers typically use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and older versions use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). This will encrypt all data transferred between your personal computer and wireless router. In addition, devices without your encryption key cannot connect to your wireless router.
Change your default password - All wireless routers are given a default administrator password by their manufacturers, so make sure to change this password to prevent unauthorized access to your wireless router.
Change SSID (Service Set Identifier) - The SSID is the name of your wireless network. In order for a computer to connect to your wireless network, the SSID must be known. You should change the manufacturer's default SSID name to a unique name that will not be easily guessed, and has no direct connection to you or where you are located (e.g. don't use your last name or street address).
Use Supported Browsers:
Encryption is the process of protecting information as it moves from one computer to another so that it is unreadable to everyone except the receiver. The stronger the level of encryption used by your web browser, the more difficult it is for unauthorized parties to break the encryption and decipher the message in transit.
SchoolCash Online is fully tested before supporting new browser versions. When accessing SchoolCash Online, you are required to use one of our recommended browsers with 128-bit encryption.
While SchoolCash Online believes these safe computing practices and included links provide reasonable but not absolute protection, the Site makes no representation or warranty as to their intended use or fitness for purpose.
Any reference to a software provider is for convenience only and does not constitute an endorsement of that company's products. You must make your own decision with respect to their products.
Windows and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.