The CitiDirect® BE employs secure login processes to ensure that data is safe and accessible only to authorized users.


In order to login, along with your User ID, you also need a Secure Password or a Safeword® Card that generates dynamic passwords or a Digital Certificate. Only an authenticated combination of your User ID and Secure Password or the password generated by the Safeword® Card or a valid Digital Certificate will allow you to login to the CitiDirect® BE.


Using a Secure Password
Using a Safeword® Card
Using a Digital Certificate
Assistance

Using a Secure Password

When you receive your User ID and Secure Password through "Important User Information" email notifications. Please follow these steps:

  • Select Secure Password as your Authentication Mode.
  • Enter your User ID and Secure Password in the appropriate space provided.
  • Click Login

Forgotten Secure Password – (If you have forgotten your password)

You will receive temporary Secure password through "Important User Information" email notification.

Change Secure Password – (If you know your password and want to change it)

Password Policies

Expiration

  • Once the password has expired, the user will be forced to change their passwords before continuing. A warning will appear for the last five days before a password is about to expire.

External Users

  • Password expires after 180 days of inactivity.
  • Password expires if not changed with in 180 days.

Locking

  • Access to CitiDirect® BE will be disabled after 6 successive incorrect passwords.

Composition

  • The minimum password length is 6 characters.
  • The maximum password length is 15 characters.
  • The maximum repeating character length is 2.
  • Password should have at least 1 alphabet and 1 number.

Restrictions

  • The minimum number of days before a password can be reused is 90.
  • The minimum number of passwords before reuse is 6.

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Using a Safeword® Card

A Safeword® card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) is required to login to CitiDirect® BE

  • Select Safeword as your Authentication Mode.
  • Enter your User ID and generated dynamic password in the appropriate space provided. (See Using a Safeword® Card to generate a dynamic password for more instructions)
  • Click Login

Using a Safeword® Card to generate a dynamic password

When you received your Safeword® card, you also received a unique PIN and your host number. You will need that information to generate a dynamic password that is required to login. Please follow these steps:

  • Switch on your Safeword® Card
  • At the prompt, enter your unique PIN
  • Now enter your host number
  • A password is generated - key in this password in the password field on the CitiDirect® BE login screen.

Please note that for some users the displayed dynamic password will contain a hyphen (-). The hyphen should not be entered as part of the password.

New Safeword® card

Citigroup Safeword® Administrators will issue new card and PIN mailer for the users created on CitiDirect® BE with in a period of 10 US business days after receipt of "Important User Information" email notification.

Existing Safeword® card

Citigroup Safeword® Administrators will enable access to existing Safeword card for the users created on CitiDirect® BE within a period of 3 US business days after receipt of "Important User Information" email notification. If you have not received your Safeword card and PIN mailer or you encounter any problems accessing the CitiDirect® BE, please contact your Implementer or Customer Support Representative.

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Using a Digital Certificate

You can logon with a digital certificate only after you have downloaded a valid portal logon certificate into your Citi authorized Smartcard / USB Token. If you do not know which certificate is your logon certificate, contact a Customer Support Representative.

  • Select digital certificate as your authentication mode

  • You will be prompted with a window displaying a list of digital certificates on your device

  • Select the appropriate logon certificate and click OK
    • Note: To verify that you are using the correct certificate click on view certificate details. The details tab of the dialog box will contain the certificate serial number

  • The certificate will be verified and you will be prompted with a window to enter your PIN
  • Enter PIN and click OK

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Assistance

In case you encounter any of the following problems please contact your CitiDirect® BE Customer Support Representative:

  • Unable to generate dynamic password.
  • Lost your Safeword® Card
  • Forgot your PIN
  • User Locked
  • Unable to login
  • Forgotten User ID

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