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Ensuring your online transactions are safe and secure
As a bank we are used to thinking about security. The internet brings new risks that must also be recognised and guarded against. At HSBC, we use industry standard security technology and practices, focusing on three key areas – privacy, technology and identification so we can safeguard your accounts from any unauthorised access. However, you too should play your part in protecting these accounts.
Privacy
We use industry standard encryption within our Internet banking services
Secure sessions
When you log in to Internet Banking you are said to be in a “secure session”. You know you are in a secure session if the URL address begins with https:// or a padlock symbol appears in the lower right hand corner of your browser.
Encryption
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology is used within your Internet Banking session to encrypt information before it leaves your computer. This ensures that no one else can read it. Depending on your browser settings, a pop-up window may appear to tell you that you are entering a secure page.
Encryption converts your data into an encoded form before it's sent over the Internet. This stops any unauthorised users from reading the information. At HSBC, we use 128-bit SSL Encryption , which is accepted as the industry standard.
Session Time-out
If you forget to log-off after banking online, or if your computer remains inactive for a period of time during a session, then our systems automatically log you off. Pages viewed during a secure session are not recorded in your PC's temporary files.
Technology
We use many layers of security – for obvious reasons we cannot disclose all of them, but the following are typically used:
- All our operating systems are updated with the latest security patches
- Our anti-virus software is kept updated
- We use firewalls to prevent unauthorised intruders
- Digital certificates are used
Identification
We use a log on process with passwords and digital certificates to be sure that we're dealing with you
Online access to your account is only possible once you have authenticated yourself using the correct user name, password and digital certificate.
Automatic Lock-out
After a number of incorrect attempts to log on, we disable online access to your account. To re-activate your account, you can use our online password reset function.
Useful tools
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