Skip to main content

Online security tips

Some simple steps you can take to protect yourself when transacting online include:

 

Protect your password

  • Choose a password that you will remember, but can not be easily guessed. Ideally your selected password will include some numbers as well as letters.
  • Take care when entering your password to ensure others cannot see what you are entering.
  • Change your password regularly. If you ever believe someone may know your password then change it immediately. Your password is something that should be unique to you and your online financial service.
  • Never write your password down, store it on your computer and/or mobile device or utilise any functionality offered that will automatically fill/complete the password field. Passwords should be committed to memory.
  • Never tell anyone your password. Your password is yours and yours alone. Our staff will never ask you for your password under any circumstances. Never provide this information if requested, even if you think they are from the bank.
  • If you use a web browser that allows you to store secure site passwords (for example, your NetBank password), we strongly recommend you turn off this functionality. Please check the ‘Help’ menu in your browser for details on how to complete this.

 

Register for NetCode SMS or Token

  • As a NetBank customer, you can enjoy the added security and convenience of our free NetCode SMS service. A 'NetCode' is a one-off password you can have sent to your mobile phone as an SMS to authorise certain NetBank transactions. To take advantage of this new service, view our demonstration to find out how to register for NetCode SMS.
  • Alternatively, we offer a security token which is a small electronic device that also delivers a NetCode. You can discuss your NetBank security options with us by calling the NetBank Help Desk on 13 2828, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Protect your Personalised Identification Questions and Answers

  • When deciding what personalised questions you would like to set up, never choose questions whose answer can easily be guessed. For example: "What colour is my car?" is a question whose answer is easily guessed, as the answers white, red, grey or blue would be applicable to 70% of people. Likewise "How many cups of coffee do I drink a day?" For most people the answer would be one to five. Questions that are difficult to guess are those with thousands or millions of possible answers, none of which is likely to be a popular choice for the majority of users, e.g. "What was the name of my first dog?" or "What was the surname of my first teacher?"
  • If you have not registered for NetCode SMS or NetCode Token then NetBank uses your Personalised Identification Questions to authenticate certain transactions. There have been recent fraudulent attempts to obtain the answers to these questions using hoax emails and computer viruses.

Here's how to keep your Personalised Identification Questions safe:

Only answer when NetBank asks your Personalised Identification Questions when you:

  • access the 'My contact details' page
  • pay someone for the first time
  • add a BPAY biller
  • send money using International money transfers
  • changes to your NetBank password
  • access the 'Register for SMS security' page
  • access the NetBank 'Register my token' page

Never answer your Personalised Identification Questions in the following scenarios:

  • in response to an email
  • within the NetBank login screen
  • when the Personalised Identification Questions are not actually shown on the same screen.

 

Set daily withdrawal limits that better suit your needs

  • Daily withdrawal limits are established automatically when you register with NetBank. If you don't want or need the full limit that the Bank has assigned, you can use this service to reduce the limit for Third party payments, BPAY and International money transfers. You can reduce your daily withdrawal limit by logging into NetBank, navigating to the 'my info' tab, and then selecting 'My NetBank limits'.

 

Safe computing practices

  • Always log in directly from your browser and make sure it is via our authorised site address http://www.commbank.com.au/personal/netbank/
  • When you login to NetBank check:
    - that the last successful logon time reported by the service is consistent with when you last logged in.
    - for any unusual or unauthorised transactional activity on your account and call 13 2221 if there are any transactions you are unfamiliar with or that look suspicious.
  • Never click on an email that asks for your personal banking information.
  • Use email spam filters to help protect you from receiving hoax/ spam emails. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) now offer email spam filtering services. These spam filtering services intercept many hoax emails preventing them from reaching your email inbox. This is an excellent way of protecting yourself from hoax emails. In many cases you may need to contact your ISP either by telephone or via their website in order to activate spam filtering on your email account.
  • Never accept links or redirections from other websites or media for the purpose of logging into the NetBank website.
  • Avoid opening, running, installing or using programs/files you have obtained from a person or organisation that you do not know you can trust. Be particularly careful of unsolicited emails containing file attachments.
  • Be careful about using NetBank from other PCs, such as those at some Internet Cafes, which may not have up to date virus protection installed. If you want additional protection when using unfamiliar computers, set up an additional login with restricted access. You can set up and change Additional Logins under the 'security' tab.
  • Make sure your online session is secure by checking:
    - that https:// is displayed on your browsers address bar
    - a padlock is displayed in the bottom right hand corner of your browser
    - a valid digital certificate has been issued to the site you are visiting
  • When performing financial transactions online, never leave your computer unattended while the session is still active.
  • Select Exit NetBank when you are finished using NetBank. Exit NetBank if you leave your computer unattended, to avoid others accessing your account details.
  • Look after your account details if you save or print them after electronically accessing them from the Commonwealth Bank's system. Keep this information in a safe and secure place or destroy it once you have finished with it.

 

Secure your computer

 

Email alerts


NetBank security alerts are email messages confirming certain activities on your NetBank account. Our security alerts make using NetBank even more secure by confirming the following:

  • Online registration
  • Online password resets
  • First time third party payments
  • Requests for your NetBank client ID and additional logins to be frozen
  • Changes to any of your personal details in the 'My contact details' page
  • Adding/Deleting of billers in your biller address book
  • Any changes to entries in your account address book
  • Resetting your identification questions and answers by the NetBank Help Desk
  • Resetting your password by the NetBank Help Desk
  • Establishing access to International money transfers

These security alerts will automatically be sent to you as a bank message as well as to your personal email address. To ensure you receive the latest NetBank security alerts, please keep your email address up-to-date. If you need to change your email address please login to NetBank and then go to the 'My contact details' page under the 'my info' tab.

 

Update your mobile phone number in NetBank


If we spot unusual NetBank activity we'll try calling you on your mobile phone or we may send you an SMS asking you to contact the NetBank help desk. To update your mobile phone number, login to NetBank and under the ‘my info’ tab select ‘my contact details’.

For more information, take a look at some online fraud examples.

Important information

  • As the advice on this website has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the advice, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. View our Financial Services Guide. Terms and Conditions for these products and services are available online or from any branch of the Commonwealth Bank. The Terms and Conditions should be considered before making any decision about these products.

 

Need assistance?

 

Have you considered?

 


Did you Know?

For the right advice before you make your next move, talk to one of our Financial Planners.

 

Did You Know?
Security & privacy | Site map | Important information | Other sites © Commonwealth Bank of Australia 2008 ABN 48 123 123 124