Wachovia has announced Wachovia Security Plus, "a new enhanced suite of security measures, to toughen Wachovia's already-strong security measures in the fight against online theft and fraud." Wachovia Security Plus uses the latest information technology innovations to provide back-end security monitoring and authentication of online activity to quickly pinpoint suspicious activity and proactively deter fraud.

"Attempts at online theft have increased dramatically throughout the financial services industry in recent months," said Gloria Chance, Chief eCommerce "The introduction of Wachovia Security Plus reassures our customers that the safety of their personal and financial information continues to be a top priority for Wachovia."

The security enhancements are designed to be transparent to customers and do not affect the way they do business with Wachovia online. Wachovia Security Plus supplements other security programs already in place at the company and ensures Wachovia complies with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) guidelines on authentication.

Wachovia Security Plus currently is a feature of Online Banking for Retail and Small Business, BillPay, Online Brokerage and Calibre. But comprehensive online security solutions for clients across all lines of business are being developed and will be introduced later this year.

Online banking has become one of the safest and most convenient ways for customers to manage their money. Wachovia's online banking site leads the industry in customer satisfaction and generating customer loyalty.