National Australia Bank Launches Retail Internet Banking Product Developed by FICS

Business Wire, July 17, 1998

Another security feature of the National Australia Bank project is the use of `floating keypads': these are windows containing numbers which appear on the screen. The customer clicks on the numbers to enter his/her password.

These avoid the need for customers to use their keyboard to enter a password. Floating keypads are an effective way of avoiding a 'trojan horse' attack. A trojan horse attack is where a virus downloaded off the Internet is programmed to 'sniff' all the keystrokes on the local computer, and send the information to a third party. The third party is thus able to find a password entered through the keyboard by checking what the virus has 'sniffed'.

Behind the scenes: the ESD Server and the Virtual Banking Gateway

Links to the Bank's back-office processing systems, and the interface with bank staff, is achieved through the FICS - Electronic Services Delivery Server (also a standard FICS Group product) which for Internet banking products integrates an added component, the Virtual Banking Gateway.

The Virtual Banking Gateway performs the dual authentication with the client, handling encryption and the linkage to FICS Group's Electronic Services Delivery Server. It supports the use of the system by high volumes of users by serializing the calls made to the server, thus ensuring that the server receives a steady stream of calls, rather than any surges. This traffic regulation guards against bottlenecks, improves performance, and guarantees the scalability of the solution should the market demand it.

The FICS - Electronic Services Delivery Server, running under the AIX platform, acts as the interface to the Bank's back office. It features an administration module, enabling the operator to conduct customer administration (audit trails, password management, user creation, etc.), and automated transaction processing functions. For the National Australia Bank product, enhancements were made to the system to enable seamless linkage to local Australian messaging standards, such as BPAY. The server is also able to store information on a temporary basis; for example, if a customer makes a future payment, it retains information about the transaction until the due date of the payment before sending it to the Bank's back office.

Growth for FICS Group Down Under

The launch of the National Australia Bank product is the latest in a series of successes for FICS Group's Australian subsidiary. In the past, FICS Australia has developed remote electronic banking applications for Westpac (`Business Deskbank') and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. FICS Australia is currently active on a range of local customizations of FICS Group's standard products for the Australian market, including an Australian payments warehouse.

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK

National Australia Bank is one of the world's largest and most successful financial services groups. In the Fortune 500 survey of August 1997, it was ranked 53rd biggest bank in the world and the 9th most profitable. It is Australia's largest financial institution, providing financial services to a broad range of market segments, including retail customers and commercial services. The National Australia Bank group has grown into a global organization in recent years through the establishment of local branches and through a series of mergers and acquisitions. Banks within the group include Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, Northern Bank (United Kingdom), National Irish Bank (Republic of Ireland), Bank of New Zealand (New Zealand), and Michigan Financial Corporation (United States). In 1997, the bank recorded an asset base of around $202 billion and 9 million customers.