Banking session

While using Internet Banking or any other type of financial site there are a number of points you need to be aware regardless of whether you are signed on at home, work or in a public place such as an Internet Café. We will split this into three parts - starting your session, using your session and finishing your session.

Starting your session

It is important to keep your sign on details safe.

• looking over somebody's shoulder as they enter a password is one of the easiest ways of obtaining personal sign-on information
• you need to be aware of people behind you especially if you are in Internet Café or even using an ATM
• you also need to be aware of people within earshot if you are a visually impaired user and are using screen reader software to assist with data entry
• disable or switch off the option on browsers for storing or retaining user names and passwords. Check your browser help for instructions
• because of the increased risk we recommend that you do not access your Internet Banking details from computers situated in public places such as libraries or Internet Cafés
• if you are using the Internet in a public space, be aware of anyone monitoring you. This includes being filmed by closed circuit television (CCTV) as this can capture personal details

back to top

Using your session

The site you are signed in to may be secure, but are you? The following points will help you to stay secure.

• never leave your computer unattended while logged in to a Banking or e-commerce site and always logout immediately after you have finished
• we recommend that when banking online you complete any outstanding transactions and log off before visiting other sites and before turning off the PCs you are using
• if you forget to sign-off when using the Nationwide Internet Bank, Nationwide automatically signs you off after 15 minutes of inactivity
• select the yellow padlock symbol displayed at the bottom of your browser screen
• check that the name on the certificate matches the site you are in and that it has a valid date. To do this right click on a page after signing on and select properties. On the properties pop-up box select certificates. This will return all the details of the security certificate, if it does not be very wary or better still sign off the site and contact the site vendor to confirm the site is valid
• never leave your computer unattended while connected to any site you are using, especially if you are shopping or banking online
• do not send links to your bank web pages to other people in e-mails or documents

back to top

Finishing your session

The caution you have taken when using the Internet could be undone by not closing your session down properly.

• it's a good idea to clear the temporary Internet files on the computer you are using when you have finished, especially if it is a shared computer or you were using it in a public place
• the temporary Internet files are all of the web pages you have viewed, and these are held locally on the computer you are using (sometimes referred to as the 'cache')
• to delete them click on Internet Options, select the general tab and click the delete cookies button
• if you saved or copied any information from the Internet on to the computer you were working on, delete this information if you were using a public or temporary computer, e.g. in an Internet Cafe or library. This is especially important if you downloaded any private account information from an online banking service
• when you have cleared your files, close down the web browser itself
• ensure you sign off properly by selecting the 'sign off' button if the site has one
• if you are disconnected from your banking session, always sign back in immediately then sign off correctly when you have finished ensuring the connection closes properly, before disconnecting and leaving your computer

back to top