Is community engine secure?

We take security very seriously. Every page on our site is secure, which means we use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. You’ll notice all of our URLs begin with ‘https’ and some browsers will have a padlock symbol in the header or footer. SSL ensures that any information you enter is encrypted before it goes anywhere, to ensure that data cannot be read.

We have a digital certificate from Verisign, a leading provider of online security.

Where are my credit card details stored when I use them on community engine?

Your credit card details are stored securely (and only) with Westpac.

They are not given to the organisation you are transacting with and we don’t store them either. When you enter your credit card details on the site, you are talking directly with Westpac. They capture your credit card details (cardholder name, full credit card number and expiry date) and store them in a secure, PCIDSS compliant database.

Once your credit card details are stored, all you need to do is enter your community engine password to use that credit card again. This gives you the freedom to transact with businesses and communities on community engine whenever you like, with no hassle. Again, at no time do we, or the organisation you are transacting with, see your credit card details. Westpac handles it all securely on your behalf.

What is PCIDSS?

PCIDSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. These are a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security and forms industry best practice for anyone that stores, processes and/or transmits cardholder data.

Westpac is required to meet the PCIDSS standards (and community engine won't deal with anyone who doesn't use the latest technology to protect its customers, users and communities).

Is my community engine password secure?

Always practice good password security.

There's a few simple things you can do to improve the security of your password and minimise the risk that someone will guess it or gain access to your account.

• Never use words or numbers that are easy to trace back to you, like birthdays or family names
• Don't share your password with anyone (no one needs to know your password - including your family members and friends)
• We ask you to use a combination of upper and lower case and letters mixed with numbers or symbols, which makes your password harder to guess
• Vary your password from other accounts or websites
• Update your password regularly

It's your responsibility to ensure your password is not passed on to anyone else.

To update your password at any time click on the Manage icon in the toolbar (the cog), then click on 'Account' on the left hand side menu, and 'Change password'.

Passwords must be between 6 and 20 characters long and contain at least one number.

I'm sharing a computer or using a public computer. Is it secure?

If you are sharing a computer or using a public computer, make sure you do not select 'Remember me' option in the sign in area.

Make sure you sign out before leaving the computer.

This will help minimise the risk of someone signing in to your community engine account from a shared computer (accidentally or intentionally).

I think my account has been compromised - what should I do?

If you think that someone else has accessed or has been trying to access your account, the first thing you should do is change your password (Click here for instructions on how to do so). Further to this you can contact our Support team and we will be able assist you.