Money wants you to experience all the convenience of online finances without worrying about the security of your data. Money has taken several steps to keep your data safe and completely under your control. To read MoneyÆs full security and privacy statement, click About Microsoft Money on the Help menu, and then click Privacy Statement.

• Passport. The first step you can take is to password-protect your Money file using Microsoft Passport. MicrosoftÆs encryption technology makes Passport both extremely secure and easy to use.
• Storing financial data on MSN Money. ItÆs a good idea to upload your account information and portfolio to a secure site on MSN Money. YouÆll have the conveniences of working with your data from any Web-enabled computer. A single Passport protects the online data as well as your Money data. If something happens to your home computer, such as fire or theft, you will still be able to recover most of your important financial information.
• Background Banking. ItÆs easy to use Money when you download your transactions from your financial institutions. Not only does your required logon information protect your accounts, all downloads into Money are protected with 128-bit encryption technology. After downloading, your Passport keeps that data safe from unauthorized persons, whether they break into your home or break into your computer from the Internet.
• MoneySide. Your data in MoneySide is completely secure. To see it, you need to be on the computer that stores your Money file, and log on using the Passport you use for your Money file. Also, the data comes directly from your Money file. Web sites have no access to the data in MoneySide.

To access your online accounts, someone would need to have access to your Money file or an account statement, and your online password. To make sure this doesnÆt ever occur, here are some precautions you can take:

• Treat your passwords carefully; donÆt share them and donÆt store them near your computer.
• DonÆt use passwords that are easy to figure out, such as names of relatives or pets, birth dates, anniversaries, phone numbers, or common words like logon or password.
• If you use Money at the office or on a laptop when you travel, protecting your password is even more important.
• DonÆt keep your Money file on a network server or public drive that others can access.

Security on Web sites. MoneyÆs security and privacy policy does not apply to Web sites you view using MoneyÆs Web browser. Security for those sites depends on the Web site provider.

Connecting Money with the Internet. In the Ask Money box at the bottom of the Help pane, type ôconnect to the Internetö and then click Search. YouÆll see Help topics that provide details about how to set up your computer for the Internet.