What you can do

Don’t wait for a virus or trojan to infect your computer before improving your online security.

Find out how to take positive steps to protect your computer and your online identity by reading our Surf Safely advice and completing the actions in our online security checklist.

There are so many things we can do online, such as banking, chatting with friends, doing our weekly food shopping or buying gifts. To make sure we stay safe there are a number of steps we can take to protect our identity and passwords.  

1. Limit the information you make public on social networking sites
Identity thieves piece together small pieces of information you publish about yourself online. If you allow people to see your date of birth, mobile phone number, address and family information they may be able to use this information to steal your identity.

2. Use strong passwords
A good password should be longer than seven characters and contain a mix of letters and numbers. You should also avoid using your name, username or something too obvious as a password.  It is not recommended that you use the same password for logging into different sites and you should change your passwords every few months.

In the same way you would protect your PIN for your bankcards, keep your online passwords safe. Never let your passwords be known to anyone and don’t write them down. If you believe they may have been compromised change them as soon as you can.

3. Be aware of email/phishing scams
Be on your guard if you receive emails asking for your personal information or online banking sign in details, especially if they are threatening to suspend or limit access to your account. Halifax will never send emails asking you to provide personal information or to confirm your online security details.

Do not choose an email address such as 'joe_green@example.com' that shows your identity, fraudsters could used this to personalise a phishing email to make it look genuine.

4. Check you are on a secure website
Never enter credit card / bank account details without checking you are on a secure web page when buying goods and services online. Secure web pages will have a web address starting https:// and there will be a padlock symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the browser window.

If you're uncertain about a website you can check the website’s Security Certificate by double clicking the padlock on a secure web page. To be sure how they will record and use your personal details you should also look for and read their Licence Agreements and Privacy Statements.

Halifax uses Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer, or EVSSL for short, this means that our site has undergone many rigorous checks to confirm its validity, and has been provided with a 'certificate of authenticity' which can be recognised by your browser.
In the majority of cases, this validation is shown within your address bar, displaying a 'traffic light' style response of green, amber or red.

This feature gives you the added confidence of knowing the site you're using has been confirmed as genuine.

To help you understand what is displayed on your browser and where, we've created this PDF document showing images of the various browser address bars, and what they will display in response to EVSSL validation.

5.Update your web browser
Always use the latest version of your web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari).  Web browsers often provide a level of inbuilt protection such as anti-virus and anti spyware. However, you should not regard this as a substitute for your own anti-malware products, which still need to be maintained. Using an out of date browser increases the likelihood that someone might be able to exploit a weakness, so having the most up to date version and ensuring that all security patches have been applied is important.

Setting up your online security can seem like a difficult process but in reality there are plenty of simple technical things you can do to keep yourself and your personal information safe online. If you are unsure how to carry out these steps then you should ask someone with computer experience whom you trust, or speak to your internet service provider.

• Find out how to Surf Safely.
• Update your operating system (e.g. Windows). The latest operating system will protect you against recent security threats.  You can set-up your computer to get updates automatically via the internet.  It's a very easy way to keep the hackers at bay. You can find out how to do this through your operating system provider (e.g. Microsoft if you are a  Windows user). 
• Keep your web browser up to date. You can usually upgrade your browser version from your browser providers' website.  Here are the most common providers*:
  Upgrade your Internet Explorer browser
  Upgrade your Mozilla Firefox browser
  Upgrade your Safari browser
  Upgrade your Chrome browser
  Upgrade your Opera browser
• Use a firewall. Your computer's very own burglar alarm and, if configured correctly, it prevent potential ‘intruders’ from accessing your computer. 
• Use anti-virus software. Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date and you help to stop viruses, Trojans and many other nasty 'bugs' from infecting your computer.
• Prevent spyware. Spyware is a rather nasty form of online snooping.  You can help prevent spyware from getting onto your computer by surfing with caution and using up-to-date anti-spyware software. 
• Secure your wireless connection. Without a secure wireless network, anyone can use your connection.  So not only are they freeloading at your expense, they're also able to hack into your computer.  Make sure you secure your wireless connection, which could be as simple as setting a password.  Your internet service provider will be able to provide instructions.
• Mobile devices. If you are using mobile devices to access the internet make sure you use antivirus software appropriate for that device. Security for mobile devices is just as important for mobile devices for your home computer.
• Stay up to date. By keeping your antivirus software, browsers and firewall  up to date you will be keeping one step ahead of the criminals trying to steal you data.
• You can also check websites such as Bank Safe Online* to keep up to date with the latest phishing / scam emails  going around.