HSBC brands EVERY Apple iPhone 'an insecure PC'
iOS app urges fanbois to pull on some protection
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HSBC's iPhone app for online business banking warns customers that their reassuringly expensive Apple mobiles are in fact PCs - and insecure ones at that.
In a surprising cock-up, the bank's app incorrectly identifies the shiny phones as Windows PCs, and scolds fanbois for not having security watchdog software Rapport installed. Anyone attempting to download Rapport for PCs onto an iPhone would suffer a frustrating experience, to say the least.
This was the screen shown to biz account holders after clicking into banking services from the app's home screen:
Your PC? - the screen that iPhone users were incorrectly served
"When you run HSBC's iOS app and try to login to your business bank account, it informs you that you don't have Rapport's security software running 'on your PC'. The same happens if you just try to login to the bank's website from the phone too," a Reg reader told us. "If you hit the 'remind me in 14 days' button you can get into the actual 'app'. It's a pretty big f**k-up on the rolling-out-a-non-properly-tested-change front, really."
An HSBC spokeswoman apologised for the mixup, which she said was accidental and would be rectified by noon today.
"It seems we made some changes to the website and replicated the changes across all platforms, including the iPhone," she said. "They are looking to make sure those changes are back to normal by lunchtime."
Anyone wanting to use the app in the meantime can just click the "Remind me in 14 days" button on the warning screen and proceed as usual. ®
COMMENTS
Not only iPhones
I get it on Ubuntu too. If I have time, I might try calling HSBC and say I'm having difficulty installing Raport - some light entertainment for the afternoon.
Time for tubby bye byes...
So HSBC want me to "download" some random software despite the fact that I have
1. No idea if this will impact on any other software that I have installed (or indeed includes some unknown holes that will place other areas of my on line activity at risk, and
2. ignores the fact that I have very good anti virus and anti spyware/malware software installed and with which I sweep my machine regularly.
Not the first HSBC annoyance. the new generation ATM they installed at my local branch is the only one that I am aware of on our high street that DOESN'T have a facility for ATM Deposits. Inquiries in branch suggest that they have been told that deposit accepting machines are no longer available from the manufacturers... and the helpful suggestion that there is a lobby service 20 miles (and a toll bridge crossing) from me.
HSBC is looking increasingly inept and disconnected from the real world - it is probably time for me to move my account to a better bank.
Re: And this comes
No, it's the world's local money laundering bank!
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