D&B's New Security Protocol May Keep You from Accessing Your Company's Data

D&B's free Company Update and iUpdate portals are no longer available.

This post has been updated to include information about DUNS-Manager® platform.

If you have previously viewed or monitored your D&B file via the free Company Update or the official iUpdate owner's portal, those services are no longer available.  D&B has completed their recent online data security upgrade, effectively putting an end to their iUpdate and Company Update platforms, and the new security procedures could prohibit you from being able to access the raw data in your D&B credit profile. Unless you are subscribed to a Creditbuilder or other paid service, there is now only one way to view the data in your D&B file: DUNS-Manager®

D&B's new security process requires that specific owner's information be entered into the system to verify a principal's identity in order to gain access to the site. Whether that is the business owner themselves or someone assigned that responsibility — they'll need to undergo an intense security process that requires answers to four new (and varied) security questions.

To submit updates or launch slow payment disputes using DUNS®Manager...

• Go to https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/view-update-company-credit-file.html

• In the drop-down, choose "I have a U.S.-based business"

• Fill in your business name, address, and phone and click "Search"

• Find your company in the list and click on "View / Update Company Information"

• Click "Continue"

• Create a new login (or) Scroll down and click on Login to use one you already have

• Fill in your personal information and click "Continue"

• Answer the four security questions

• Go through each of the pages to update data or dispute slow payments

• Review and submit your changes

• YOU MUST COMPLETE THE BELOW PROCESS TO SAVE YOUR ACCESS SETTINGS

• In the upper-right-hand corner, click the "person" icon and click on "Return to Dashboard"

• Scroll down and ACCEPT the Terms and Conditions

Only limited information is visible in this system, such as basic raw data (and not all of it) and a very limited review of the payments in the file (without industry identifiers).

Printing or saving a copy of the file is not permitted through the new portal, and it is intended for making changes only, not for daily maintenance or monitoring of the status of your file.

Judging from how much my phone has been ringing since the new system went online, it appears the security questions have been the most difficult hurdle to get beyond, even for seasoned and savvy business principals.

D&B's ultimate goal is, of course, to force every business owner to either pay for a service that allows them to see the raw data that impacts their scores and ratings, or remain blind to their commercial credit file altogether.

D&B's paid services currently range from $149/month to tens of thousands per year.

Several callers have admitted to paying the ransom D&B's salespeople are demanding, but those salesreps aren't telling their customers the whole story. When those business owners access their own report using these online products, it will generate a new inquiry to their business credit file.  Under normal circumstances, infrequent inquiries would not be an issue, but if you are currently in the process of updating your data or watching for changes, these daily inquiries will add up quickly and will negatively impact your business scores and ratings.

If you need help accessing your file via D&B's new DUNS-Manager®, give me a call. We can usually get access within just a few minutes, and it's FREE!