Security of Personal Information

You can control the safety of your password. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• We will never ask you to disclose your password to us or anyone else, and you should not share it with anyone.
• We recommend that you change your password periodically.
• A strong password contains a mix of numbers, letters and symbols and is only used for this account—and remember, especially given the nature of our sites, using your own or your relatives’ names or dates of birth is not a good idea.
• Also, you should log out of Ancestry when you use a computer you share with other people.
• Access Your Account page to change your password.
• Many sites provide useful guidance on how to prevent online fraud and identity theft, including the Google Safety Center.

We have many safeguards in place to prevent personal information about you, including your family research, from being lost and to prevent cyber-attacks, phishing, or other malicious activity:

Secure account sign-in
We require a unique username and password to sign in to your Ancestry accounts. In addition, only you, or those you have authorised, can edit your online tree. Learn more about tree editing roles under Privacy for Your Family Tree.

System backups
We use the latest technology to provide reliable access to your tree and have processes to back up all user trees on a regular basis.

Accidental deletions
When you delete a tree, we require you to re-enter your password to prevent the possibility of deleting a tree accidentally.

Living People
Names and other information about people on your family trees who are marked as living are shown only to you and others with whom you share your tree. If you have a public tree, others (with whom you have not shared your tree) will see only the existence and gender of living people on your tree.

Payment Information
We use additional security to protect payment information, detailed below in the “How secure is my payment information” section.

DNA Data
For information on how we keep your DNA data secure, see Privacy for Your AncestryDNA Test.

Fraud Protection
If you experience any bizarre behaviour or suspect that your account has been compromised please contact us at [email protected] or through ::HelpUrlPrefix::/s/contactsupport.

Ancestry has several security methods in place to prevent fraud and protect payment information. For example, we encrypt financial information.

Credit Card Security
We use Card Verification Value Codes (CVV2) for “card not present” purchases. As a result, all online purchases from Ancestry will require this additional information to ensure that the person using the card has actual possession of it.

Fraud Prevention Team
We have a team of experienced analysts who are dedicated to preventing fraud on our websites and assisting users with any problems or concerns they may have. If you have concerns, please contact us at [email protected] or through ::HelpUrlPrefix::/s/contactsupport.

Data Encryption
We use industry-standard encryption methods, such as using Transport Layer Security (TLS) during transit of subscriptions, orders, and credit card details to protect payment information.