Privacy Policy Statement

I. Introduction to Electronic Banking

A. Background

Electronic banking offers the customer a convenient and fast means of accessing information, providing information and transacting business from the customer's own personal computer. While this technological utility has the potential to save time and improve efficiency for the customer, it brings with it a fundamental risk inherent in anyone's use of the internet. All users of the internet are sharing the same links to the world wide web, and it is important that when confidentiality is desired, that safeguards be present to insure the user's privacy.

B. The Importance of Privacy

The most obvious need for privacy for a bank customer's purposes is to insure that there is no malicious entry into a customer's account for the purpose of making unauthorized withdrawals from the customer's funds. However, a bank necessarily acquires other confidential information about a customer, such as the social security number, credit card numbers, and the like. In addition, an unauthorized intrusion into a bank's database could result in the acquisition of credit history information, information about a customer's assets, and other personal data. It is therefore important that a bank engaging in electronic banking over the internet establish safeguards to insure the integrity of this confidential data.

II. Protection for the Customer

The bank employs numerous safeguards to protect the confidentiality of customer information. These include the following:


A. Third Party Disclosures

We maintain physical, electronic & procedural safeguards to protect your information. The bank does not disclose any customer data to third parties, nor does the bank provide any lists of customer names to third parties.

B. Employee Access to Data

All bank employees are trained to observe customer confidentiality. In addition, internal security methods prevent employees from accessing customer data for which their particular job does not require such data.

C. Security Systems

The bank's computer systems employ a number of built-in security systems. In addition to the use of PIN's and passwords, a firewall system is employed to prevent direct access from outside sources in the bank's main system. Other methods employed in the bank's systems include encryption (coding) authentication of incoming user identification, and safeguards to insure the information sent out by the bank is actually received (non-repudiation).

III. The Bank's Use of Confidential Information

There are situations in which the bank will need to disseminate private customer information and to acquire private customer information when the customer accesses the bank's web site or conducts electronic banking activities. These include the following:

A. Use Required by Law

State and federal laws governing the rights of creditors or taxing authorities to attach, levy upon or garnish bank deposits must be followed.

B. Credit Reporting Agencies

The bank, like virtually all other banks, has contractual arrangements with various credit reporting agencies to share credit history information about customers. However the usage of this information is limited to specified purposes.

C. Internet Promotions and Activities

The bank has several offices and is affiliated with a separately chartered facility which operates under a similar name. Customer information is shared among the various offices and affiliates. In addition, customer information, such as addresses, is used by the bank in promotional mailings involving the bank's own activities. E-mail addresses may also be used by the bank in the future for contacting customers about account information, bank promotions, or the like.

D. Cookies

This site makes use of Cookies. These are files of information stored on your computer and used by a Web Server to identify you next time you visit our Web Site and to maintain information about you and your usage of our Web Site. Our use of Cookies is designed to customize and simplify your use of our Web Site.

E. Use by Sub-Contractors

From time to time, the bank may engage the services of private contractors to generate certain banking functions, such as the production and mailing of bank statements. When this does occur, the bank must provide private customer data to these contractors. However, in each case, there is a contractual obligation to keep the bank data confidential.

F. Use as Directed by the Customer

The customer may want the bank to release information in certain situations. This is common, but does require written communication from the customer authorizing the release.

IV. Summary and Admonition

The bank makes every effort to insure that customer data is kept confidential, while at the same time attempting to make the electronic banking function simple and accurate. It is often the case where problems do arise, that the problems stem from a customer's own failure to observe sound individual security practices. The bank cannot be responsible for situations in which a customer has failed to keep the confidentiality of a PIN or password, or becomes careless with a cash card or credit card number. The bank must also reserve the right to change its Customer Data Privacy Policy at any time.

Other information about the bank's policies may be obtained by direct contact with the following:

21st Century Bank
Attn: Web Site Administrator
9380 Central Avenue NE
Blaine, MN 55434

Phone: 763-767-21ST
Fax: 763-783-7140
pncBanking@21stCenturyBank.com                             
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