FAQs

• When is it safe to enter personal information on our website?

  There are a number of precautions you should take before entering personal information on our website, for example:

  • Ensure that you are on one of our authentic websites (please see website spoofing).
  • Ensure that the page requesting personal information is secure.

• How can I ensure that I am on one of your authentic websites?

  To ensure you are on an authentic Standard Bank website, you will need to verify the security certificate. You can test this page to ensure that the source of these FAQs is Standard Bank.

• Can my bookmark in my favourites list will always open an authentic site?

  A recent report says phishers are able to reprogram a browser's bookmarks or favourites. The safest method of accessing an authentic site remains checking the URL every visit or typing the URL every time.

• What is a domain name, and which are owned and used by you?

  A domain name is the Internet address that allows you to communicate with us. Domain names normally include the company's names, trademarks or products. Examples are ‘standardbank.com’ and ‘standardbank.co.za’. The only way to ensure that a website is owned by us is to verify our web certificate. As an extra precaution, you can check the domain name against the list of names we own and use. This list does not include all the Standard Bank domains. It does, however, display the most commonly used names. Any site claiming to be ours (even if it contains the name ‘standardbank’) which you are unsure of should be reported to our Customer Contact Centres.

• How do I ensure that the page that is requesting personal information is secure?

  To ensure that a web page is secure, check on the following:

  • Check that the web address, for example, www.standardbank.co.za, is prefixed with https and not http.
  • Ensure that a lock appears in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser screen and indicates ‘SSL Secured (128 bit)’ when you move your mouse pointer over it.
  • Ensure that the website certificate is valid.

• What is a security certificate?

  security certificate is an assurance by an independent third party, for example, VeriSign, of ownership of a site. The certificate on our site shows you that the address you used to access the site is owned by us. It also enables us to secure transactions over the Internet.

  Remember to always check the authenticity of transaction sites.

• How do I check my certificate when using Internet Explorer 6 and higher?

  To verify our certificate for Internet Explorer when connecting to one of our secure sites, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the lock icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser screen.
  2. Put your mouse cursor on the lock icon.
  3. A tool tip will appear indicating ‘SSL Secured (128 Bit)’.
  4. Double-click on the lock icon.
  5. One of the following certificate dialogue boxes will appear:
     
  6. In the ‘General’ tab, ensure that the ‘Issued to’ address matches the one in the address bar.
     
  7. In some cases, the ‘General’ tab will have the message ‘This certificate has failed to verify for all its intended purposes’.
     This is an Internet Explorer browser issue and has been raised with Microsoft. To find out more,click here.
  8. Click on the ‘Details’ tab (middle tab).
     
  9. Click on the ‘Subject’ field.
  10. In the window below, scroll to find the following entry: ‘O = Standard Bank of SA Limited’, or ’Standard Bank Offshore Services’ or ‘Standard Bank London Ltd’.

  This is your assurance that the certificate belongs to us.

  1. Click on the ‘Certification Path’ tab (last tab).
  2. Look at the Certificate status in the bottom window. It will read ‘This certificate is OK’. This is your assurance that the certificate is valid and is functioning correctly.

• How do I check my certificate when using Netscape Navigator 6?

  To verify the Standard Bank Certificate for Netscape Navigator when connecting to one of our secure sites, follow the steps below:

  1. Locate the lock icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your browser screen.
  2. Double-click on the lock icon.
  3. The following certificate dialogue box will appear:
     
  4. Check that the connection is encrypted using RC4 128 bit.
  5. Click on the ‘View’ button.
  6. Ensure that Organization (O) reads ‘Standard Bank of South Africa Limited’, ‘Standard Bank Offshore Services Limited’ or ‘Standard Bank London Ltd’. This assures you that the certificate belongs to us.
     

• How can I ensure that I have received a legitimate business proposal from you?

  All suspicious business proposals can be queried by contacting our Customer Contact Centres.