WINDOWS investigates: UAE internet banking

EMIRATES BANK

Service
BankNet Power

Web
www.emiratesbank.ae/ebg banknet.htm

Features
The BankNet Power customers we interviewed agreed that the features provided by the service were comprehensive.

These include Evision and Etisalat bill payment, a cheque request option and the transfer of funds to other EB accounts and third-party accounts abroad. What sets this online service apart from others here is that it also lets users pay their Du bills, top-up their Salik credit, and deal with parking and speeding fines.

Appearance and usabilty
While EB’s online service seems to have all the key features covered, its interface is not as user friendly as it could be, according to the users we spoke with. Mohammed, a web development professional who’s used the service for five years revealed, “While very feature-rich, its navigation is rather confusingly spread down the left-hand side of the screen. There are also sub-options placed across the top of the screen, which makes the site rather unintuitive to use.”

Mohammed goes on to comment that this huge number of options contributes to a sense of clutter. And he reveals that all the options appear for everyone, whether they’re active options or not. If an inactive function is selected (such as a non-credit card user clicking a credit card related option), a potentially irritating message appears, informing the user of the absence of the service. Unfortunately, this then stops other links from working too and forces you, the user, all the way back to the Banknet homepage.

Security
The site’s login procedure just requires a username and password. For sensitive areas such as adding a payee, there are additional security questions (first school attended, mother’s maiden name etc.), but these only come up when adding such a new function. Internally, the site makes extensive use of pop-up info input panels – which can make it harder for you to detect possible phishing attacks or diversions by Trojans, thanks to the lack of a visible URL. (To explain, phishers try to scam people by using fake website addresses, so if you cannot see the address then it is harder to detect if the site you’re at is legitimate.)

WINDOWS verdict
Banknet has almost everything covered in terms of features, however its interface doesn’t isn’t too hot and can be niggly to use. Security wise, its login procedure is also relatively simple.

CITIBANK

Service
Citibank Online

Web
www.citibank.com/uae/gcb/cbol

Features
Citibank’s feature list is reasonable – and includes account statements for the previous few months, the option of paying utility bills and contact forms to report problems, order new cards and more. According to Ahmed, a Dubai-based professional who’s used the service for a year and a half, these forms are somewhat variable in quality, often featuring confusing options. He also claims that, in his experience,”there is no real communication from Citibank after the use of these forms”.

Appearance and usabilty
Some might find Citibank’s login procedure slightly cumbersome, as you have to enter a user ID, password via an on-screen keyboard and answer a secret question. However, this approach does offer a reasonable balance of usability and security. The site’s graphics and menus are somewhat basic but get the job done.

Security
As mentioned, the site’s login procedure is reasonably rigorous; users must input their username (which can be saved on the PC) then enter their password using an on-screen virtual keyboard, and then answer one secret question from five chosen at registration. The site insists on opening a separate window when opening the service, which on older browsers obscures the address bar – a potential problem when trying to detect phishing attacks. However, newer browsers such as Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 retain the address bar in the new window, eliminating this problem.

In terms of sessions, the site will confirm you want to remain logged in after five minutes; if it receives no response after ten minutes, it will log you out automatically.

WINDOWS verdict
Citibank’s security offer is solid and whilst – like Emirates Bank’s offering – its appearance could use an overhaul, it does what it’s supposed to however. The only negative holding the service back is that it’s not as feature-rich as Emirates Bank or Mashreq’s services.
MASHREQ BANK

Service
MashreqOnline

Web
www.banking.mashreqbank.com/RBG.Net/aelogin.htm

Mashreq bank offers five different online banking services, however we focussed on speaking to users of its consumer version – MashreqOnline.

Features
According to the users we interviewed, MashreqOnline offers all the key features required to manage your money. This comprehensive list includes cheque requests, bank transfers and six-month statement viewing. You can also buy Mashreq millionaire certificates and Saving certificates, block and activate cards, and even change a credit card due payment date. However, the service doesn’t let users pay Salik or Du payments, unlike Emirates Bank and HSBC Bank.

Appearance and usabilty
The service’s log-in procedure is pretty quick; you must enter your account or credit card number, user ID and a password (which is the same as your Telephone Identification Number or TIN).

The site’s interface is very straightforward and intuitive. The service uses a blue, orange and white colour scheme and boasts a horizontal tab menu. These tabs include Account Information, Account Servicing and Money Transfers. There is also a Tools tab, which provides handy apps such as loan and mortgage calculators and a currency converter.

Nishad, a UAE entrepreneur told us, “I’ve been using the service for the past three years and I find it extremely user-friendly and straightforward. I use it mostly to check statements, and pay utility and credit card bills, and I find that these are always processed quickly and without any error messages appearing”.

Security
Mashreq Bank’s online services use 128-bit SSL encryption, like the rest of the banks here, and again like the rest features a session timeout function, which is set to kick in after 20 minutes of inactivity.

To carry out money transfers, a user has to enter their password each time a transfer is made, whether it is an internal or international wire. The site’s initial login procedure meanwhile, though convenient for its users, could be more rigorous – for example by making use of an on-screen keyboard or a NBAD-like token system.

WINDOWS verdict
Mashreq Bank’s service is feature-rich and very user-friendly, and in this sense comes very close to HSBC’s offering. Our only niggle is the session timeout duration, which we feel is a little too long (we’d recommend shortening this to ten minutes or less). This aside, the service is definitely one you can bank on.

HSBC BANK

Service
HSBC Internet Banking

Web
www.uae.hsbc.com

Features
Although it cannot accept SEWA and Salik payments yet, HSBC’s online banking service otherwise seems to have all the key features checked.

Appearance and usabilty
HSBC’s login procedure is arguably very rigorous, however the users we spoke to claimed this lowers the convenience factor. David, a Sharjah-based sales manager stated, “Although I reckon the login procedure is secure, its requirements make logging in a bit of a pain. On average, it takes me around a minute and half to get into my account. But I guess that’s the price you pay for the added security.”

As for the interface itself, the colour scheme is red and white and according to user feedback, it’s very intuitive. “I’ve been using the service for a month, and I find the interface straightforward and user friendly; there’s never been any confusion”, stated Alladitta, a Dubai-based HR manager.

Security
Like the rest of the banking services here, HSBC uses 128-bit SSL encryption. Its login procedure as mentioned is very rigorous as it employs a virtual keyboard, just like Citibank. This makes it almost impossible for keyloggers to access your login details.

WINDOWS verdict
HSBC’s consumer banking service seems to have all of its bases covered. It’s feature-rich, user-friendly and boasts a rigorous – though time consuming – login procedure.
NBAD NATIONAL BANK OF ABU DHABI

Service
Bank Away

Web
www.nbad.com

Features
NBAD’s Bank Away offers a reasonable number of features. For instance it lets you view your bank and credit card statements and make Evision and Etisalat payments. Additionally, you can pay DEWA and ADDC bills, but not SEWA or FEWA bills. Like Masreq Bank and HSBC’s services, you can also activate and block cards, and request cheques. Salik and Du payments however have yet to be added.

Appearance and usabilty
According to the NBAD users we quizzed, NBAD’s online service is straightforward to use. Its interface features a vertical menu that runs down the left of the screen. One of the users we spoke to, a systems analyst, stated, “I find the login procedure very quick and secure. I also use HSBC’s online service but I find that NBAD’s login process is not as complex or time-consuming.”

He goes on to say, “I mostly use the service to pay my Etisalat and water and electricity bills. I also use it to transfer money to banks abroad and have always found the service reliable in this regard. The best feature about the service is that I get a SMS whenever I complete a transaction”.

Security
The login procedure uses two-factor authentication; it requires a user name and password, but it also asks for ‘security token’ details. To explain, during sign-up each user is provided with a security token – a small electronic key-chain type device that randomly generates a six-digit code and displays it on its LCD screen. This token is connected to a satellite and the number displayed on its screen changes throughout the course of the day. This number is then used to login to your account. Impressive.

WINDOWS verdict
NBAD’s Bank Away service includes all the most important features and a user-friendly interface to boot. It is arguably one of the strongest services in this round-up in terms of security too, as it is the only service here to offer a dynamic password in the form of a security token. Overall, a great example of how an internet banking service should be.

STANDARD CHARTERED

Service
iBanking

Web
www.online-banking.standardchartered.ae

Features
Like NBAD and Citibank, SC’s iBanking service offers a reasonable number of features. You can view bank statements, recharge your Etisalat mobile and pay your DEWA bills. And unlike Emirates Bank, the service also lets you view the details of your loan account.

Appearance and usabilty
Logging on to iBanking is quick as you only have to enter a user ID and password. According to user feedback, the interface is straightforward. Craig, a designer stated, “The interface is easy to navigate but the only niggle I have is when adding a beneficiary. I am required to fill in an online form, which is fine but I then have to print and fax it, which defeats the purpose really.”

Security
Like all the banks here, SC’s service uses 128-bit enycryption. Though quick, the initial login procedure is not as tough as it could be. On the plus side, session timeouts occur in just a couple of minutes.

WINDOWS verdict
Standard Chartered’s iBanking service offers a decent number of services and boasts a clear-cut interface. Its appearance however could use a little reworking as it appears quite basic and as such isn’t the most appealing. Overall, a good service but could be still better.