Document security
How we protect your information
Applying for business financing means sharing tax returns, bank statements and personal details. Federal law, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the FTC Safeguards Rule, requires companies like ours to protect that information. Here are the tools and procedures we use to do it.
Encrypted in transit
Our website, online application and secure upload links all use HTTPS with TLS encryption, so your information is scrambled while it travels from your device to us.
Encrypted at rest
Documents you upload are stored in our business Dropbox account, which encrypts files with 256-bit AES. Application data is held by our secure form provider, also encrypted.
Multi-factor sign-in
Everyone at Benchmark who can access customer information signs in with a password and a second verification step, such as an authenticator app. A stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in.
Our procedures
Safeguards behind the tools
Technology is only part of it. We follow a written information security program that covers how we collect, store, share and dispose of your information.
- A private upload link for each client. You can upload files, but you can’t see anyone else’s, and we close the link when your file is complete.
- Access on a need-to-know basis. Only the advisors working on your request, and the lenders you agree we may approach, see your documents.
- No sensitive documents by email. We ask for tax returns, statements and IDs only through secure links. If something arrives by email, we move it to secure storage and delete the email copy.
- Less data in more places. Our loan tracking system records only what we need to manage your request. It doesn’t store Social Security numbers, birth dates or full tax ID numbers.
- Vetted service providers. We choose vendors with strong security and review them regularly.
- Secure disposal. When we no longer need your information for your financing or to meet legal requirements, we securely delete it.
- A plan for the unexpected. We have an incident response plan and will notify you and the appropriate authorities as the law requires.
- Trained people. Our team is trained on these procedures, and we review the program at least once a year.
Your part
How you can help keep your file safe
- Upload documents only through a link sent by your Benchmark advisor.
- Don’t send Social Security numbers, tax returns, bank statements or IDs by email or text message.
- We will never ask for your passwords or for payment to receive a link. If a request looks unusual, call us at (800) 793-7550 before you respond.
- Use a device you trust, not a shared or public computer, when you upload.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but these safeguards are designed to protect your information at every step.