PPS Investments has adopted "best practice" after extensive research and consultation with technology and security experts. PPS Investments uses state of the art encryption to ensure the security of your online transactions and personal financial information, provided you keep your Username, PIN and Password secret, no one else can access your information.
What security precautions should I take when using PPS Investments Online Services?
In addition to your PIN, Username and Password, PPS Investments uses state of the art encryption to ensure the security of your online transactions and personal financial information. At all points where sensitive information is being entered (such as personal, account and transaction details), a 128-bit encryption layer is activated. Despite these security measures, you can take the following additional steps regardless of whether you are accessing the Internet from an Internet Caf�, a home or work PC:
How do I know that I am on the secure PPS Investments website?
Check to make sure that the URL begins with "https" rather than "http". The initial connection to ppsisecure.co.za will redirect the connection to an available Internet secure server. The login page will be displayed. This page contains three fields where the Username, PIN and Password are entered. This is secured using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology. If you are not sure that you are on the correct site then use the security checking process as explained below.
What is "spoofing" and how do you ensure that you are not at a "spoofed" site?
"Spoofing" is a practice that criminals undertake to lure you to their site, with the express purpose of defrauding Internet bankers and shoppers. A "spoofed" website looks like the real website, but by undertaking a few checks it is easy to establish if you are at the correct site. Follow the procedures set above under "How do I know that I am on the secure PPS Investments website".
What is a "certificate"?
The certificate is a digital ID book that authenticates a website. The certificate itself is a small-encrypted file that contains certain information that has been verified to be true by Thawte. This certificate can be verified by the built in capability of any Microsoft or Netscape browser to be a real Thawte certificate. The digital certificate is thus a tamper proof repository of information that will verify the identity of the holder, be that a person or a web server.
Who or what is "Thawte"?
Thawte was founded in 1995 and is the world's foremost Certificate Authority providing public and enterprise trust services in order to secure electronic transactions of any kind. The role of a certificate authority is very similar to the role of the Department of Home Affairs in issuing National ID books. The Certificate Authority ensures that the information in the certificate is verified and accurate before the certificate is issued. To deliver on this promise Thawte has built up a secure infrastructure that is impenetrable to hacking or internal fraud. Thawte has a footprint in over 35 countries worldwide and is represented in Africa by the South African Certification Agency.
Why does PPS Investments use "Thawte"?
Thawte is currently the leader in the Internet security space and has a world market share of more than 80%. This is because Thawte implements rigorous authentication procedures matched with state of the art technology that has become the defacto standard in electronic identity and security.
What additional security features does PPS Investments Online Services employ?
PPS Investments has instituted the following security measures in order to protect you:
Advanced encryption software
PPS Investments uses the most advanced internationally accepted standards of encryption technology. At present this is 128-bit encryption built into the browsers. Therefore, it is always in your best interest to update your browser to the latest released version.
Please note:
The PPS Investments website is optimised for use with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 and above. PPS Investments does not advise the use of Beta versions of browsers for access to PPS Investments Online Services.
Access and your Username
You can only make use of the service if you are an existing PPS Investments client. A PPS Investments client will have an Investor and/or Client Number and will use either of these numbers to register as a user of PPS Investments Online Services. During the registration process you will choose a PIN and Password. Once registration is verified and successful, clients will be issued with a Username.
Forgotten Password
You will be guided through a series of questions which you have pre-selected in your registration. Once these questions have been correctly answered, and you have entered your Username and PIN number, you will be allowed to reset your password.
Forgotten PIN
You will be guided through a series of questions which you have pre-selected in your registration. Once these questions have been correctly answered, and you have entered your Username and Password, you will be allowed to reset your PIN.
Timeout
If you have logged on and have not used the service for twenty minutes, you will be required to login again.
Security Risk of Using Non-Approved Automated Software Applications
For security reasons and to guard the safety of your data, access to the PPS Investments website is limited to Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.5 and above. Under no circumstances should Investors use any software, program, application, or any other device to access or login to the PPS Investments website, or to automate the process of obtaining, downloading, transferring, or transmitting any content to or from PPS Investments computer systems, website, or proprietary software.
Cookies, GIF�s and Other Web Tools
When you interact with PPS Investments online, through the PPS Investments website or through e-mail, we will strive to make that experience easy and meaningful. To do so, PPS Investments uses several tools. Visitors to the PPS Investments website will receive a cookie sent from the PPS Investments web server to their computer. A cookie is simply an electronically transmitted file that holds small pieces of information. When you navigate through PPS Investments� website, your browser "requests" pages for you to view, and that request will include the information stored in the cookie we previously sent to your computer. This process is like an electronic "handshake" between PPS Investments� system and your computer; the information exchanged allows us to recognize your browser software.
Cookies and Personal Identification
Individually, cookies, GIF�s and other Web tools, as well as data derived from them, do not identify you personally. They merely recognize your browser. Unless you choose to identify yourself to PPS Investments, by opening a unit trust account, or registering for PPS Investments Online Services, you remain anonymous to PPS Investments.
Cookies come in two types of flavours: persistent and session-based. Only persistent cookies remain on your computer after you've closed your browser or turned off your computer. They include such information as a unique identifier for your browser that only PPS Investments can read and use, and the fact that you are a PPS Investments customer or prior PPS Investments website visitor. We are especially careful about the security and confidentiality of the information we send through persistent cookies. For example, we do not store investor numbers or passwords in persistent cookies.
Session cookies exist only during an online session with PPS Investments. They disappear from your computer when you close your browser software or turn off your computer. Session cookies allow you to conduct transactions or request your own personal or account information on the PPS Investments website. They contain encrypted or encoded information about your account(s), and/or identify information that you have previously provided to us. This information allows PPS Investments to process your online transactions and requests. Examples include a request to see your account balance or to buy online. Without the session cookie information, we would not be able to complete your Web transactions securely. Session cookies help us identify you after you've logged in.
"Graphics Interchange Format"
On the PPS Investments website, we sometimes include a GIF. On the Web, they allow us to keep your session active while you may be using research, education or bulletin board services so that you will not have to login again when you return to PPS Investments� Online Services. In an e-mail message, we may embed a GIF in the message that allows us, for example, to determine if your e-mail reader is HTML capable or how fast your connection to the Internet is. This allows us to deliver content in a format most appropriate to your computer's capabilities.
"Other Web Tools"
Sometimes we include links to Web pages in an e-mail or in banner advertisements, which includes a code that allows us to know if you clicked on that link. We do this so that we can personalise your experience, such as recognising you when you reach the Web page you clicked to, or by displaying information and content we believe will be relevant to you.
If you have any questions regarding your privacy on this website, please e-mail us at [email protected].
Please note: This internet security guide does not form part of PPS Investments� Website Terms and Conditions of this Website. It is recommended reading for all website users and is for information purposes only. Whilst every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, PPS Investments does not guarantee its accuracy or that it will remain accurate as technology changes. PPS Investments shall not be liable for any losses or damages suffered arising from reliance being placed upon any of the contents of this guide.