Security

Security Online

Security is an increasingly important topic in a world where customers can interact more with companies online. Bradford & Bingley commit to putting safe guards in place to protect you when using our website. To ensure you are always protected, there are many steps that both Bradford & Bingley and you can take to ensure that you do not become a victim, and stay protected online.

For more information about what you can do to increase your online security visit Get safe online for expert advice.

Protecting your computer

There are many ways in which you can protect your computer. It is advisable not to use just one of these methods, but a combination of software and hardware to protect yourself.

Protection against viruses

To protect your computer against viruses always run anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software regularly updates its virus definitions to guarantee you are protected from the latest viruses. Popular anti-virus software includes: Norton Anti-Virus, McAfee Virus Scan and Sophos Anti-Virus.

Protection against spyware

Similar to computer viruses, spyware is software that can infect your computer. There are many different types of spyware, however they commonly either try to serve you unwanted popup adverts (Adware), try to spy on what you do on your computer, or worst case try to scan your computer for sensitive information. To combat spyware you should always use anti-spyware software. Popular anti-spyware software includes: AdAware, Spy Sweeper and Microsoft Defender.

Using a firewall

Protect your computer from some viruses and hackers by using a firewall. Options include both hardware and software firewalls that act as a barrier between the outside world and your computer. Firewalls govern the traffic between your computer and the rest of the Internet, and are your first line of defence against attack. When used with all other measures for protecting your computer a firewall should help secure you when surfing.

Being careful with downloads

Be suspicious of any software that you are asked to download, especially if you are not sure of it’s origins, or if you receive a message whilst surfing requesting to download a program. Also be aware of unexpected attachments on emails, or emails from individuals you do not recognise asking you to open an attachment.

Updating software

Keep your operating system and all software up to date by downloading any regular updates from the manufacturer. By downloading the latest updates you are protecting your computer from hackers who have found security weaknesses in the software. By doing this you will also be securing the software from viruses and fixing known software bugs.

Email scams

Bradford & Bingley may email you from time to time. However, we will never ask you for any personal or security information, and you should treat these emails as suspicious if they do. As online scams become more complex it is worth while knowing the common ways that email scams can attack. These include:

Email "phishing" scams

An email "phishing" scam is when a fraudster sends you an email pretending to be from a certain company. Normally, these emails will be designed to look like a typical email from the company. However, the main focus of the email is to get you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website. Common examples of "phishing" scams will ask you to change your password, or update your account information. Once on the fake website, even if it looks like the real site, any information you enter will be available to the fraudster.

There are some standard characteristics that you can use to spot
"phishing" scam emails. These include:

  • Receiving unexpected emails
  • The senders email address doesn't use the companies main website address
  • The email is not specific to you and does not have your name in the content
  • The email threatens you to act quickly to change personal account details
Emails concerning financial benefits

Numerous types of scams promote large incentives if you act upon content within the email. Examples include emails that claim you have won lotteries or draws. These emails then ask for you to confirm your personal information, including such things as bank account details. Worse still, you may be asked to earn commission by transferring someone else’s money into your account, and then move this into another overseas account. Doing so will most likely lead to you being involved in criminal acts. If you receive such an email it is best to just delete it.

Hoax emails

Hoax emails are plentiful, and the majority are no more than an annoyance. Most are designed to be viral and request you send the email on to friends and family. Some individuals find these types of emails as harmless, especially if the email has comical content. However, some hoax viral emails are used by spammers to harvest email addresses for future spam attacks. If you receive such an email it is best not to send it on, check sites such as, Symantec and McAfee to see if the email is a known hoax, and simply delete it.

Report your concerns
If you have any online security concerns related to Bradford & Bingley websites, our Security team will investigate and will reply to you if appropriate. Please submit your query to us using this form.

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Important: The information you provide will be sent to Bradford & Bingley by e-mail. E-mail via the Internet is inherently insecure. It may be subject to interception in transit and therefore you should not send any confidential information by this means. Bradford & Bingley staff may reply to your e-mail; however, it is policy that the group will not provide any confidential or sensitive information via this means.

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