Security

The growth of the Internet has offered great flexibility for us all, but it also brings new risks that must be guarded against. At Griffon Bank we use industry standard security technology and practices to safeguard your account from any unauthorized access.

Please read the following security recommendations from Griffon Bank to safeguard your PC and your online banking. They will help you to protect your personal information when you are on online.

Anti-virus

  • Install, and keep anti-virus software up to date. Anti virus protection software helps and reduces the risk of contracting trojans or viruses on your computer. Anti-virus programs protect your computer when you are online. These programs are upgraded by their manufacturers regularly, even up to multiple times per day, whenever new viruses appear on the Internet.

Computer Updates

  • Keep your computer always up to date. If your computer is operating on Windows 98, OS 7, or older versions they may not offer the same security level of protection as newer systems: for example Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc. are among the newest versions available. Operating system manufacturers such as Microsoft provide frequent security updates for your computer to help make your system more secure and safe. Make sure that the operating system on your PC is always up to date. Linux and Mac OS X also provide high levels of security and have frequent updates.

Downloads

  • Avoid downloading programs from unknown web sites. Downloads from unknown websites or spam emails may contain hidden programs or viruses to capture user names and passwords that are on your PC. Never download anything from unknown web sites because it can harm your computer’s security. Always scan programs before installation first with your Anti-Virus program.

    You can apply this rule also to documents which you have received by E-mail. Malicious mailers often use familiar names of your address book in the sender field to get to your PC and gain your trust to open this infected file.

Firewalls

  • Install a personal firewall. Most offices have their own firewall protection at the network perimeter, your PC at home would also benefit from this added level of security. Most newer operating systems have a built-in firewall. Check to see if your operating system already includes a firewall and, if it doesn't, purchase one separately.

Internet connection

  • Disconnect ADSL Internet connections when not in use. Many Internet service providers offer permanent ADSL, DSL or other high-speed connections but the more time that your computer is connected to the Internet, the more risk there is that it will suffer some kind of attack. Even if you have a firewall installed in your office or home, we recommend disconnecting from the Internet when you're not using it as an extra security measure to avoid unwanted access to your computer's data by intruders.

Online transactions

  • Use secure websites for transactions. Make sure the web page that offers online sales processes the payment by encrypting your data (https://).

    You can identify this additionally by the lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner on your taskbar that is located in the windows browser. A secure web address of a page you are viewing will always begin with https:// . That means it is secured and uses encryption to transfer data between your PC and the web server.

    Griffon Bank provides a minimum of 128-bit encryption which offers an extremely high level of security.

Passwords

  • Protect your private information and passwords. Memorize your passwords. Memorize your passwords. Do not share them with anyone. Change them regularly (every 3 months, for example) and use combinations of small letters, capital letters, numbers and special characters such as "@" or "-" so that your passwords cannot be guessed. It's advisable not to use your first name, last name or date of birth as a user name or password. Avoid using country-specific characters (such as accented characters) because some systems might not recognize them correctly or maybe you cannot type them on some keyboards.

Web Browsers

  • Use the newest web browser. To provide our clients at Griffon Bank with the most safety and security in accessing their online bank accounts, our online banking services are continually upgraded. In some casess, your browser may become unsuitable for sensitive transactions such as online Internet bank transactions because it might be out of date.

    To maintain the safe and high level of security at www.griffonbank.com, Griffon Bank does not allow access to our iBank using browsers that do not meet our security standards. In some cases, your browser may be outdated and will be a security risk if you go on using it.Therefore upgrade your Browser regularly for securely surfing the internet and carrying out online Internet bank transactions.

    You may need to upgrade your browser to at least Internet Explorer 6, better is IE 7, or the newest versions of Firefox or Opera.