Glossary > Security > ING Direct

Programs to detect and remove computer viruses. The simplest software scans executable files and blocks a list of known viruses. Others are constantly active, attempting to detect the actions of viruses. Anti-virus software should always include a regular update service allowing it to keep up with the latest viruses as they are released.

A hardware or software-based hidden entrance to a computer system that can be used to bypass the system's security policies.

Cookies are small files stored on a computer's hard drive. Cookies are generally harmless and are used to recognise a customer so that they can receive a more consistent experience of a website. Cookies can contain information about your preferences that allows customisation of a site for your use.

In order to assure you that you’ve accessed the genuine ING Direct website, when you login online you’ll be presented with the last 3 digits of your oldest open ING Direct Account Number and the date and time of your last successful login. Only we will know these details, and if they are incorrect you should call our Customer Service Team immediately on 0845 603 8888.

Encryption converts your data into an encoded form before it's sent over the Internet, stopping unauthorised users from reading the information. At ING Direct, we use 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Encryption , which is accepted as the industry standard level.

You know that your session is in a secure ‘encrypted' environment when you see https:// in the web address, and/or when you see the locked ‘padlock' symbol.

Browsers:
IE6 and above:
Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and above
Safari 1.0

A firewall is a small program that helps protect your computer and its contents from outsiders on the Internet or network. When properly installed, it prevents unauthorised traffic to and from your PC. There are many effective programs to choose from. Common commercial examples are from Zone Labs , Symantec (Norton), McAfee and Computer Associates. In many cases there is a version of commercial software that is free of charge for personal users.

Anything you type on a computer can be captured and stored. Such covert activity can be via a hardware device attached to the PC or by software running almost invisibly on the machine. Keystroke logging is often used by fraudsters to capture personal details including passwords. Some recent viruses are capable of installing such software without the user's knowledge.

The risk of encountering such keystroke logging is greater on PCs shared by a number of users, such as those in internet cafés. ING Direct has introduced an onscreen Key Pad as part of the online login process to reduce the risk of keystroke capturing and logging.

Running anti-spyware software would reveal the presence of any such software on your PC. Customers can download free anti-spyware..

Our onscreen Key Pad is used as part of our online login process and has been introduced to minimise the risk of anything you type into your computer being captured and stored by others. You’ll be asked to enter your PIN and memorable date from the onscreen Key Pad using your mouse, rather than your keyboard. The Key Pad digits also change location on the Key Pad each time you login. Please see the section above for more information on ‘Keystroke capturing and logging’.

A malicious user or Web site that deceives people into revealing personal information, such as account passwords and credit card numbers. A phisher typically uses deceptive e-mail messages or online advertisements as bait to lure unsuspecting users to fraudulent websites, where the users are then tricked into providing personal information.
For more information visit our Confirming it is ING Direct section.

When you login to Internet Banking you are said to be in a “secure session”. SSL technology is used within your Internet Banking session to encrypt information before it leaves your computer, in order to ensure that no one else can read it. Depending on your browser settings, a pop-up window may appear to notify you that you will be entering a secure page. You will know that you are on a ‘secure' page when you see the ‘https://' before the web address. You will also see a closed padlock symbol in the lower right hand corner of your browser window.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol provides a high level of security for Internet communications. SSL provides an encrypted communications session between your web browser and a web server. SSL helps to ensure that sensitive information (e.g. credit card numbers, account balances and other proprietary financial and personal data) sent over the Internet between your browser and a web server remains confidential during online transactions.

These are automatic disconnections, for security reasons, from any secure session after a period of server inactivity. It may occur even if you are typing something into a page or data field, the event being triggered by no communications to our servers, rather than by keyboard or mouse inactivity. All our internet banking services have this protection.

You may attempt to enter your customer number and Last name up to 3 times. After 3 incorrect attempts, you will trigger the soft lock-out. This means that you will be unable to login online for 5 minutes. Once this time period expires, you can re-attempt to login online. Alternatively, you can call customer services and access your account via our telephone banking service.

Any software that covertly gathers customer information through their Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of programs that can be downloaded from the Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors customer activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that customers unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today.

A destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the worst types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer.

A computer program usually hidden within another seemingly innocuous program that produces copies of itself and inserts them into other programs and that usually performs a malicious action (as destroying data).

Vishing is an adaptation of phishing attacks that uses telephone or VoIP (Voice over IP tools). You may receive an email or SMS asking you to call a free phone number to confirm your details, or you may receive a phone call with a recorded message asking you to input your account details. Once you have done this the attacker is free to use your personal information to attack your account.

To protect yourself use only the published official call centre numbers for your financial services company and be cautious in giving out your personal information over the telephone. Remember ING Direct will never ask you for your password over the phone.

Security holes/bugs are faults, defects or programming errors. These may be exploited by unauthorised users to access computer networks or web servers from the Internet. As these vulnerabilities become known, software publishers develop ‘patches,' ‘fixes' or ‘updates' that you can download to fix the problems. For more information visit our Updating your computer section.

A worm is a program that is designed to replicate and spread throughout a computer system. It will usually hide within files and distribute those files through any available network connections. In addition, worms can spread rapidly via e-mail.