Security and Fraud Centre

Glossary

A-C | D-F | I-P | S | T-W

Anti-Spyware Program

Anti-spyware programs are designed to protect your computer from spyware (see under 'S'), and are useful in ensuring that your computer and your personal details remain secure.

Anti-Virus Software

Anti-virus software is designed to detect known incoming viruses (typically via email) and prevent them from infecting the PC.

New viruses can spread very quickly, so you should ensure that your anti-virus software is always running and is updated on a regular basis – at least weekly.

Popular sources for anti-virus protection software are McAfee, Symantec (Norton) and Sophos . Private individuals can also download free versions of this type of software from the Internet.

Firewall

A firewall is a small program that helps to 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 freeware version of commercial software that is free of charge for personal users.

Secure Sessions

When you log in 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.

SSL

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.

Security Vulnerabilities

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.

Session Time-out

This is an automatic disconnection, 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 with our servers, rather than by keyboard or mouse inactivity. All our Internet banking services have this protection.

Spam

Unwanted email messages offering products and services of dubious benefit are often called Spam. Various types of anti-spam software are available, but the first line of defence may be your own Internet Service Provider, many of whom offer spam filtering services.

Spyware

It is a computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer without user's informed consent. Spyware programs will not only secretly monitors user's behavior, they can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habit and websites that have been visited. It can also interfere with user control of the computer in various ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting Web browser activity and accessing websites blindly which would attract more harmful virus infections,and divert advertising revenue to a third party. Spyware can even change computer settings.

Trojan Horse

Any apparently legitimate software that carries an unwanted destructive payload. Typically the payload is a virus that is used by hackers to gain unauthorised access to computer systems.

Virus

A computer program designed to replicate itself by copying itself into other programs stored in a computer and cause computer interruption such as slowing a computer or corrupting a computer's memory and files.

Viruses are now mainly spread by email and by file sharing services. New viruses are discovered on a daily basis.

Virus Definition File

This is a file used by anti-virus software to identify specific viruses, worms and trojan horses. For this reason you should regularly download the latest version from your software supplier, or set your software to "auto-update".

Worm

A malicious program that replicates itself until it fills all of the storage space on a drive or network.

Such Worms may use up computer time, space, and speed when replicating, with a malicious intent to slow or bring down entire web servers and disrupt Internet use.