Protect yourself online
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Using 3rd party services to access internet banking
We don’t recommend the use of 3rd party services to access internet banking. The use of 3rd party services invalidates our internet banking guarantee, not just for the affected transaction, but for all subsequent internet banking use too.
We advise our customers who have used 3rd party services to access internet banking, to change their password immediately and to update their Keepsafe questions.
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Anti-virus software
Scan your computer with up-to-date anti-virus software at least every 30 days. The software detects and eliminates computer viruses.
You must also scan downloaded files and attachments before opening them.
New viruses are appearing all the time, so you should regularly download updates to your anti-virus software from your software supplier or set your computer to automatically update your anti-virus software.
For more information on anti-virus software, go to the Symantec and Norton AntiVirus website or the McAfee VirusScan website.
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Anti-spyware software
Scan your computer with up-to-date anti-spyware software at least every 30 days.
Spyware secretly gathers information from your computer and passes it on to advertisers or other parties. It can even capture details such as your password and user name.
Spyware can be installed without you knowing, as a result of visiting a website or through clicking on an option in a deceptive pop-up window. It can also be carried in viruses or installed along with other free software downloaded from the internet.
Again, new spyware appears all the time, which means you should regularly download updates to your anti-spyware software from your software supplier or set your computer to automatically update your anti-spyware software.
For more information on anti-spyware software, go to the Lavasoft website.
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Firewall hardware and software
Make sure you have up-to-date firewall hardware or software installed and set it to work on incoming and outgoing traffic.
A firewall controls your connection to the internet by filtering the information that's passed to and from your computer.
You should regularly download updates to your firewall software from your software supplier or set your computer to automatically update your firewall software.
For more information on firewall software, see the Symantec and Norton Personal Firewall, the McAfee Personal Firewall or the Zonealarm Firewall.
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Operating system security updates
Software suppliers often issue updates to fix problems found in operating systems and browsers. It's a good idea to regularly check for updates to your operating system and browser.
If you have a Windows operating system, use the built in update tool to keep Windows up-to-date.
If you have an Apple computer running OS X, run the Software Update tool regularly.
To watch a video about protecting your PC, go to the Microsoft website.
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Double check the website address
Double check that you're on the official Kiwibank website before logging in - www.kiwibank.co.nz
We use digital certificates from Verisign that verify that you're connected to our official internet banking website. These certificates also confirm that all communication between you and Kiwibank is encrypted and therefore secure. Encryption is a mathematical method of coding information.
If you use Internet Explorer 7 or Mozilla, you'll also see the address bar is green when you visit our internet banking login page. We've done this to clearly show you're visiting Kiwibank's website, and not a fake.
We recommend that you use IE7 or Mozilla, but if you don't, you can still confirm our Extended Validation Certificate by clicking on the padlock to the right of the address bar.
Find out more about Extended Validation Certificates.
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Use caution when using public or shared computers
Computers at public places like internet cafés and libraries may not be as safe as your personal computer.
In general, if you're unsure whether the computer has the required firewall and virus detection, it pays to wait and do your online banking on a computer you know has the necessary protection.
Tips for password safety:
- Keep your password safe
- Memorise your password and then destroy any record of it
- Take extra care when entering your password to make sure that no one else can see it
- You should use different passwords for different electronic banking services
- Don't choose a password that would be easy to guess or discover
- Don't use parts of phone numbers, birthdays, names, addresses, series of numbers or letters such as '5678…' or 'abcd…' or parts of any other numbers or personal information that people could easily get hold of
- Don't tell anyone else your password
- Don't leave your computer unattended while logged on to internet banking
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Forward suspicious emails to us
You should forward on to us any email, or a link within an email, that asks you to disclose any of your banking information.