Our security measures

Here's an overview of the security measures we have taken in offering our online service. We also suggest you read Improving security yourself and our Technical questions.

• Keeping your personal information secure
• Secure Sockets Layer
• Email
• Using passwords
• How often do we check security arrangements?
• Corporate Business Share Plan Schemes

Keeping your personal information secure

Your information is kept by Yorkshire Building Society for as long as necessary to operate your accounts. All forms and online account pages, i.e. those pages that show or collect your information, use 128-bit SSL encryption which is the strongest level of encryption currently available to the public. Encryption makes your information unreadable to anyone who might intercept it.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

A "Secure Sockets Layer" is a commonly used method of managing the security of information transmitted across the Internet and is used by us whenever we ask you to enter any personal information, including passwords. You can tell that SSL is in use when a small padlock icon appears on your browser status bar.

The latest browsers (e.g. IE7, Firefox 2.0) support 128-bit SSL encryption.

Email

You should note that ordinary email is not secure. Please do not send us any confidential information via email. Similarly, we will not use email to send confidential information about your accounts to you unless you specifically request, and agree to, this.

Check our Technical questions section for more details.

Using passwords

In addition to the use of SSL, you will need to provide security passwords to access the secure parts of the site. You choose your own passwords when you set up your online account.

Remember that your password is the key to your account. Make sure that you look after your password and keep it secret.

How often do we check security arrangements?

Our website is constantly monitored for security problems. We also regularly review our security arrangements in line with latest developments in the technology available.

Corporate Business Share Plan Schemes

Our website enables Corporate Business customers to register their application to join a share plan scheme. In order to make the share plan scheme as accessible as possible a more open verification method is used than would be required if we were to provide update or enquiry access. The verification method is based upon the information provided to the Yorkshire Building Society by the employees company.

The Yorkshire Building Society will only use email to confirm your application has been registered.