HSBC Global Site
Search
You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Online Security
  3. Secure personal banking
  4. Our steps


Our steps

At HSBC we use industry standard security technology and practices, focusing on three key areas to safeguard your account from any unauthorised access.

Privacy

We use industry standard encryption within our Internet banking services

browser padlock 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 Sockets Layer (SSL) Encryption technology is used within your Internet Banking session to encrypt your personal information before it leaves your computer in order to ensure no one else can read it. Depending on your browser setting, a pop-up window will appear to notify you that you will be entering a secured page.

At HSBC, we use 128-bit SSL Encryption, which is accepted as the industry standard level.

Any email service within Internet Banking is similarly protected with encryption technology (unlike your regular email which is usually not secure).

Session Time-out

If you forget to log-off after banking online, or 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.

Back to top

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 intrusion

Back to top

Identity Privacy

We use log-ins and passwords to make sure we're dealing with you

Online access to your account is only possible once you have authenticated yourself using the correct Internet banking ID and password. For this reason, it is vital that you do not share your password and do not use the same password for other services (e.g., Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.)

Automatic Lock-out

After a number of incorrect attempts to log in, we disable online access to your account. To re-activate your account, you should contact your usual helpdesk number.

Back to top

Useful tools

No endorsement or approval of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressed or implied by any information on this Site or by any hyperlinks to or from any third party websites or pages. Your use of this website is subject to the terms and conditions governing it. Please read these terms and conditions before using the website.