Security Measures

At T. Rowe Price, ensuring your online security and privacy is a high priority. The following measures are designed to ensure your communications and transactions on the T. Rowe Price website are as safe and reliable as any other means of doing business with us.

• Secure your home computer from viruses and hackers
• Protect your account information online
• Protect yourself from online scams and identity theft
• How T. Rowe Price protects your information

Malicious code, such as viruses, worms, key loggers, and Trojan horses, can infect your personal computer and allow attackers to gain access to personal information. There are many ways to protect your information online and when using a computer. Use these tips to secure your personal computer and network:

• Install anti-virus software to protect, detect and repair attacks against your computer. Make sure the software is up-to-date and turned on. Make sure the software is configured to automatically scan and apply updates. Consult your provider for more information on configuration settings. If your anti-virus software detects a threat on your computer, consider changing the password for any accounts you may have accessed while the computer was "infected."
• Use a firewall to protect your home network from malicious attacks. Many anti-virus providers also support firewalls. Also, many computers and routers have built-in firewall capabilities. Consult your anti-virus software provider and computer manufacturer for more information. Ensure that your firewall is turned on and up-to-date.
• Apply security updates regularly to ensure that your computer's operating system is up to date. Depending on which operating system you are using, use the following links for more information regarding security updates.
  • www.microsoft.com/security/
  • www.info.apple.com
• Update your web browser periodically. Software and application providers offer updates periodically, some of which may address discovered security issues. Be sure to either permit your computer to install these updates automatically or check for updates periodically. This will help make sure that you are using the latest technology for secure communication over the Internet.
• Protect your home wireless network to ensure that it is secure. Follow your wireless manufacturer's guidelines to secure your network, ensuring strong encryption is required.
• Use caution with public Wi-Fi's. In general, most public Wi-Fi's are insecure and allow for anyone to be able to see what you are sending over the network. If you are unsure of the network's security, do not send or access sensitive information. Also, try to use encryption where possible. Do not leave your computer unattended when traveling or in public areas.
• Back-up your data on a regular basis. Transfer data to separate storage, like CD/DVD, external hard drive, USB drive, and keep in a safe location. In case your personal computer is breached or needs to be replaced, your information will remain accessible in a separate location.

Your information could become available to those with malicious or damaging intentions if you do not properly protect your information on the Internet. Using strong passwords and following these best practices will help to protect your information from unauthorized users:

• Create strong passwords to protect your online accounts. Strong, complex passwords help to protect your information by reducing the risk of unauthorized access to accounts. A good password is easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess. Try these different suggestions to create a strong password:

  • Use a combination of lower and upper case letters and numbers
  • Try to use a "Pass Phrase" - Choose a phrase that is easy for you to remember. Take the first letter of each word to create the password using the technique mentioned above. You can use special characters or numbers to imitate a letter.
  • Change your password for financial and other sensitive accounts on a regular basis.

  Best practice is to use a unique logon credential combination for your T. Rowe Price account. Use different combinations for leisure websites and other financial websites. If you are notified by an organization that your personal information may have been compromised, change your log-in credentials for any other site where you use the same username and password combination.

  Use this tool to test your password strength. Note: this tool will not store or collect your information. The information entered is not sent over the Internet.
  https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx

  Please note: T. Rowe Price usernames must be 6-12 characters long and cannot be your SSN. Passwords must be 6-10 characters long and contain at least 2 letters and 2 numbers.

• Protect your personal information when using social media. Making your personal profile private will help protect your information from people you may not know and others with the intention of stealing your identity. Carefully consider whether you want to share personal information, such as relatives, date of birth, hometown, as these could be used to impersonate your identity. Never send personal information, such as SSN or account number, through social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter.
• Enable security features on your smartphone. Many smartphones have the capability to use a password to lock the device. Use passwords or screen locks, if applicable, on your mobile phone as a layer of protection in case it is lost or stolen. Exercise similar password protection practices with your smartphone as you would for your computer and online accounts.
• Use caution when accessing mobile apps. Thieves will create apps that can infect your mobile device with malware. Even apps available from reputable sources could have been infected with malware. Use caution when purchasing apps. Carefully consider which mobile applications you are willing to supply sensitive information to.
• Know the computer you are using. If you use a public computer, always end your online sessions by logging out of your account and closing the web browser. Only use a computer that you trust to access your account.

Hackers and thieves have devised ways to gain access to your personal information online. Being aware of these various methods is the first step to protecting yourself from fraud and identity theft.

Phishing attacks seek to gain access to personal information. A phishing attack typically is an unsolicited e-mail allegedly from a financial services company. They may appear to be legitimate e-mails from a bank or financial services provider, but they actually represent a scam designed to obtain account numbers, SSN's, account log-on credentials, or other personal information. By using names of established financial services firms in their e-mails and fake Web sites, "phishers" are able to convince some recipients to respond and provide personal information to them.

Phishing e-mails try to create a sense of urgency. The e-mails sometimes contain embedded links to a fraudulent Website that closely resemble a financial company's actual Website and includes text that prompt the recipient to enter their personal information. Other phishing e-mails provide links or attachments that contain malware if opened. Often, the malware will record keystrokes and search for passwords, which are then sent back to the scammer.

T. Rowe Price will not ask for personal information via e-mail. Be cautious of any unsolicited e-mail you receive that asks for personal information. Do not respond, open any attachments, or click on links within an e-mail if you suspect the message is fraudulent.

The Federal Trade Commission Web site (www.consumer.gov/idtheft) contains helpful information about phishing as well as steps to take if you think you've been the victim of identity theft. You can also check your credit report from any of the three major credit reporting bureaus:
Equifax: www.equifax.com
Experian: www.experian.com
TransUnion: www.transunion.com

At T. Rowe Price, ensuring your online security and privacy is a high priority. We use security controls to ensure your communications and transactions on the T. Rowe Price website are as safe and reliable as any other means of doing business with us. Some of the measures we take to protect your information are:

• Web Encryption
  T. Rowe Price uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL/TLS) technology to establish an encrypted connection between your Web browser and our Website. SSL/TLS Websites will start with "https://" instead of "http://" and signifies that you are in a secure online session with us.
• Security Image and Questions
  T. Rowe Price has added a security feature to the log-in process that has become a standard throughout the financial industry. iVerify is designed to help protect your account information by using a unique image and phrase to assure you that you are logging on to a valid T. Rowe Price website.
• Notifications and Confirmations
  When performing transactions online, a confirmation statement is mailed promptly after the transaction date. Make sure your review your account activity periodically. If T. Rowe Price detects that there may have been suspicious activity on your account, T. Rowe Price will notify you to verify the activity. For security purposes, you will be asked to provide personal information for identity verification.
• Access Controls
  Our policies provide for the use of authorizations, right, and privileges to help ensure that authorized personnel and systems have access to account data. Network level devices are implemented to help protect systems from attacks by intruders.
• Logging
  System activity is logged in order to preserve all of the information necessary to validate the transmission of data.
• Termination of Online Account Access
  T. Rowe Price reserves the right to terminate online account access for any account that exhibits suspicious activity. In such a situation, you will be notified so that we can verify the activity of your online account with you.