Internet Security Warning

When trying to access my internet banking I am getting a screen saying the connection is not secure. Should I be worried?

Karen, New Lambton

Hi Karen,
Probably not. We often see this issue when your computer’s time and date are wrong.

When connecting to your bank your computer is connecting over a protocol called Secure Socket Layer or SSL for short. This protocol ensures that the data transmitted between your computer and the bank is encrypted preventing a malicious person from seeing your login details and getting access to your account.

SSL requires that your computer clock and the clock on the bank’s web server is in sync. They don’t have to perfectly match however within a few minutes of each other. If your time, date or time zone are off this often causes the error you are getting. Correcting the clock should fix the error.

If you find the problem reoccurs after you shut down your computer then your BIOS battery is probably flat. In your computer is a watch battery. This battery enables your computer to keep time even after you have shut it down. If the battery goes flat when you turn your computer off it will lose the time so when you turn your computer back on it doesn’t know the time.

If your BIOS battery is flat it is a fairly painless process to repair. Generally the computer takes a watch battery and it just needs to be swapped out.