Banks Show Vulnerabilities in Website Security

Banks Show Vulnerabilities in Website Security

Banks such as HSBC and TD Bank are behind the times when it comes to protecting their digital assets

  • By Matt Holden
  • Jun 23, 2015

A recent report claims that banks such as HSBC and TD Bank are using second-rate security to guard its website compared to Capital One, JPMorgan Chase and others. This is due to unsecure homepages.

Websites that include the prefix “https” are considered secure, and HSBC as well as TD Bank lack that simple secure step. This means customers could potentially log into a fake site where hackers could steal their banking information.

According to the report, the most secure banking websites come from BNY Mellon and PNC.

The two banks in questions are also using old technology to prove their websites are real. The same can be said for Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and SunTrust.

The encrypted text used to secure the certificates is outdated. "There's a very easy fix -- upgrade their security. This is not a big expense and there's no excuse for avoiding it," said Matthew Green, a cryptology expert at Johns Hopkins University.

About the Author

Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.

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