Security Information

Staying Safe Online

Protecting you and your information is paramount to the Student Loans Company. We have partnered with ‘Get Safe Online’ to promote online safety and security.

www.getsafeonline.org has useful information, and helpful advice about online safety.

We would like to tell you about:

• Protecting your identity
• Protecting your computer
• Using our service safely

Protecting Your Identity

Passwords and Secret Answers

When you login to Student Loan Repayment Online you will need to provide your security details; your Customer Reference Number (formerly known as ART ID), a password and a secret answer. You will have been provided these security details when you registered for student finance. Further information can be found on How to Use Your Online Account.

If you forget your Password and Secret Answer, or misplace your Customer Reference Number, you can request these online from the Forgotten your Details link. When you reset your passwords these will be sent to your email address - it is important that you keep your email address up-to-date.

If you were not provided with a Customer Reference Number, password and secret answer when you registered for student finance you will be sent a letter with these security details from the Student Loans Company.

You can change your password and secret answer at any time by using our online service.

Always choose a password and secret answer that you will remember, but will not be easily guessed by anyone else.

Phishing

We will never email you asking for login or user details. If you receive an email that claims to be from us and asks you to visit our site and confirm your details, forward it on to student_loan_repayments@slc.co.uk and then delete it. Bogus emails can direct you to a fake website so please do not follow the links they provide.

This kind of fraudulent email is called ‘phishing’; by letting us know you have received one we can work to help protect you and others who may be affected.

If you think that someone might have guessed or found your login details, or you have disclosed them after a phishing email, you can use our online password reset service to change your details.

Cookies

Cookies are small files that are often created when you visit a website, which are stored in the cookies directory of your computer. A cookie is created on your computer when you visit Student Loan Repayment Online.

The cookie we use is only valid when you have an active session with our site. It expires when you log out and close your browser. It contains no information personal to you and is not used to track your internet use on return visits to our site.

Protecting Your Computer

Viruses, spyware and malware

Any computer connected to the internet may be vulnerable to viruses, malware or spyware.

Viruses come in many forms; attached to emails, contained in innocent looking programs or spread by websites. Viruses try to either damage your computer by removing important files or altering data, or to collect information about you and send it on to an unauthorised third party. Viruses will try to spread themselves by attempting to send themselves to your email contacts or other users of file-sharing sites.

Firewalls

A firewall is an essential barrier between your computer and the internet, preventing anyone connecting to your computer without your permission.

Most current computer operating systems, such as Mac OS X, Windows XP or Vista, have inbuilt firewalls. There are firewall products that can be downloaded from the internet. Make sure that your computer’s firewall is active.

Anti-Virus Scanners

A good anti-virus scanner will check incoming emails and files you open.

New viruses are discovered daily by anti-virus makers so it is important that you update the ‘definition files’ (the list of viruses the scanner knows about) every two or three days.

Operating systems

Regularly check that your computer’s operating system and the software running on it is up to date.

Most operating systems have an update facility which will automatically update their software on your computer. For other software packages or programs you use, visit the manufacturer’s website for available updates.

Using Our Service Safely

The Student Loan Repayment Online website is designed to ensure that when you access your account or send us information it is secure.

When you log in and access your online account, you are protected by a secure encrypted session. You will see the web address starting “https” rather than just “http” and a small padlock icon in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window.

Always log out of our site when you have finished using it, and close the browser window. This ensures that your user session is closed properly.

We recommend that when you visit Student Loan Repayment Online, you type the URL address into your browser.