Halifax and passcodes and (likely) Windows 11

flaneurs_lobster

I have dozens of accounts with banks, building societies and whatever Chip & Revolut are. Wherever possible they are set up to use 2FA on each and every logon attempt, ie an acknowledgment is required to a request sent via SMS, email or app. Ditto setting up new payee details.

I like to have as much security in place as possible and put up with the minor inconveniences this causes. 

Raising a formal complaint because the Halifax wants a passcode every three weeks seems an over-reaction.

Mikeyorks

flaneurs_lobster said:

I like to have as much security in place as possible and put up with the minor inconveniences this causes. 

Whatever suits.

flaneurs_lobster said:

Raising a formal complaint because the Halifax wants a passcode every three weeks seems an over-reaction.

Not when the norm is changed for no apparent reason. And when it no longer conforms with Halifax' own advice -

1. Sign in to Online Banking and enter your username and password.
2. Next, we’ll need three characters of your memorable information.
3. You’ll be asked to trust your device, this is a security feature. You should do it if you’re going to sign in often from here.

My bold!

flaneurs_lobster

I don't consider sticking a cookie in your browser to be "a security feature" and it certainly would not make me trust my device any further. 

Katiehound

Hi just reading your thread...Halifax is doing the same thing to me. haven't changed the computer- that was a year ago. No message saying 'do you trust this device?'  just logged on- OTP, just logged out & then back in- another OTP required!
Overkill.

Mikeyorks

Katiehound said:

Hi just reading your thread...Halifax is doing the same thing to me. 

Hi. Pleased to meet a fellow sufferer! 

I take it that prior to this you simply logged on with password / memorable data without being pestered by passcodes?

1) Have you contacted Halifax at all for an explanation?
2) Have you (I read the 'haven't changed ..' but unsure what that encompasses) upgraded the operating system at all eg Windows 10 to Windows 11?
3) Finally - do you use Chrome as the browser when accessing Halifax?

Many thanks

Mikeyorks

flaneurs_lobster said:

I don't consider sticking a cookie in your browser to be "a security feature" and it certainly would not make me trust my device any further. 

It's not your trust they're interested in .......... it's the trust they have in you. Or not.

Hence their description of it being a security feature.Which you allegedly aspire to.

Over and out.

Katiehound

yes using Chrome.

yes prior to this only used memorable data & password unless I hadn't logged on for several weeks.

I note on my computer it says 'New Chrome available' so wonder if this has something to do with the issue.

Upgraded to a new computer & Windows 11 over a year ago

haven't contacted Halifax..... yet...... but might try although last time I tried on the phone it was a nightmare: never used to be!

Mikeyorks

Katiehound said:

.........  yes using Chrome..

............. Upgraded to a new computer & Windows 11 over a year ago

Many thanks for your reply. Although I must confess I can't really pick the common element in our problem at the moment. Other than Halifax, of course.

We're both on Windows 11. But my upgrade does seem to bear at least some relation to the start of my issue. Yours seems to pre-date it and we can hardly be alone among Halifax customers on being on that version of the OS .

Equally with both being on Chrome. However see the 4th post on this thread (Sausage-time) who suspects the background updating of the browser is possibly causing issues. But my checking of that, as being equally suspicious as it's subject to the same haphazard timing as my passcodes, is that a recent upgrade has had no ill effect.

With no apparent catalyst I suddenly start getting the passcodes. When I ring Halifax I get an incident number and - a couple of days later - the missing pop up regarding trusting the device appears. I affirm and normality returns. Then, out of the blue, the passcodes return. On the 4th iteration and for the same reason as your hatred of their automated 'phone system (I've lost count of how many times I've uttered "My voice is my password" - and been ignored) I couldn't be bothered and filled in the online form. But you have to categorise that as a formal complaint otherwise it goes nowhere.

I now have their response and - the only significant data being the appearance of the pop up after their IT people have got involved - they have written that off as "coincidental".

So - unfortunately I'm going to have to go back with a slightly bigger stick with which to poke them. Currently access to our accounts is working normally. But that's after the pop up appeared again after the response that it's all coincidental. And that coincided with their IT people having another look at it.

I suppose if everything worked all the time it would be a bit boring?