Security

Online banking with Goldfish is safe and convenient. However please ensure you follow all of our advice and simple precautions as outlined in this section.

• Be aware that neither Goldfish nor the police will ever contact you to ask you to reveal your online banking or payment card PINs or your password.
• Emails you receive purporting to be from your bank or building society must be treated with caution. Be wary of emails and calls asking you to reveal any personal security details.
• Always access internet banking sites by typing the bank or building society’s address into your web browser. Never go to a website from a link in an email and then enter personal details.
• Follow our advice – our websites are usually a good place to get help and guidance on how to stay safe online.
• Visit www.banksafeonline.org.uk for further useful information.

To check if a site is secure, look for a security padlock at the bottom of your browser window, to show that your session is being encrypted. You can then double-click on the padlock to see the level of security being used.

However, there are a couple of exceptions. In Internet Explorer 5, for example, the padlock sometimes disappears or clicking on it displays the message "This certificate has failed to verify for all its intended purposes". This is a software fault with the browser and can be fixed by downloading the latest version of Internet Explorer from www.microsoft.com.

Q. What can I do to help maintain the highest levels of security?
A. You can help us to combat any potential fraud by following these steps:
Logging on

• never share your log on username, password or security number with anyone
• don't write down your password or record it on your computer or browser
• make sure no-one can see what you are keying in, either directly, via a security camera or by watching which keys you use
• never leave your computer while you are still logged on. However if you do, we will automatically log you off after 15 minutes of inactivity

• always log out of the Account Centre when you have finished your online session
• always log out before you close down the browser, before you use another application or if you are leaving your desk

Q. Why log out?
A. Because if you don't, it might be possible for someone else to re-start the session on the computer before it has timed out.

Q. How do I clear out the cache?
A. Once you have exited the Account Centre, you should always clear out your cache - the place where your browser stores the web pages you have visited during your session. Even better some browsers will let you prevent any encrypted pages being stored at all. If yours offers this function, use it.

It's easy to clear out the cache in any browser. If you don't know how to do it, see the 'help' section in your browser.

Viewing the site

Q. The text on some areas of your website is small and difficult to read. What can I do to make it more legible?
A. The text size on your internet browser needs to be reset. To do this select 'View' from the top menu bar. Select 'text size' and then select a larger font size to suit you.

Q. I'm experiencing problems accessing the Account Centre from work - why is this?
A. If you experience any problems accessing the Account Centre from work, it could be that your company has set up a corporate firewall. Firewalls are usually in place to meet the company's security policy. In most cases, this means websites can be accessed just as you would at home, although sometimes they are set to reject any encrypted messages. So if you are experiencing difficulties logging into the Account Centre, you should consult your Network Administrator who may be able to make special arrangements for you.

Q. What is a browser?
A. A browser is software that allows you to view websites. Examples of browsers include Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. To service the Account Centre you'll need Internet Explorer 5.01, Netscape Navigator 4.08 or a more recent version of these browsers.

Q. How can I protect my browser?
A. As the many software companies are quick to fix any browser security problems before they can be exploited by a third party, it's well worth keeping up with the latest security patches they issue. You can find them at:

Internet Explorer - www.microsoft.com/technet/security
Netscape Navigator - home.netscape.com/security

Q. How do I upgrade my browser?
A. If you have an earlier version of a browser, it's easy to download an updated version. For Internet Explorer: Click on the free Downloads link on the Microsoft site at: www.microsoft.com/ie.

For Netscape Navigator: Click on the free Downloads link on the Netscape site at: www.netscape.com/computing/download.

About your computer

Q. What is a modem?
A. A modem translates computer signals into phone signals meaning computers can communicate with each other via a telephone line. The faster your modem the faster your Internet connection

Q. What is a cookie?
A. A cookie is a piece of information sent to your PC when you access a website. When you return to that site it recognises your user name. Cookies are generally used so that websites can identify which page they should send to the user next. If you find the web page keeps going back to the same page, you should ensure that cookies are accepted by your browser.

Q. How do I enable cookies?
A. For Internet Explorer 5: Select 'Tools', followed by 'Internet options'. You will then need to click on the 'Security tab'. Click on 'Internet zone' and then select 'Custom Level'. Under 'Allow cookies that are stored on your computer' select Enable option. Under 'Accept per session cookies' select Enable option.

For Netscape Navigator:
At the toolbar, select 'Edit', followed by 'Preferences'. Select 'Advanced', the 'Accept all cookies'.

Q. Why does the website appear to run at different speeds, depending on when I'm online?
A. Speed can be affected by the age/speed of your PC or modem, type of line used and the amount of 'traffic' on the internet as a whole.