Ah well.  It looks like the time for me to close my HSBC account will soon be here.

They’ve announced that within a few weeks I won’t be able to log in to my online banking unless I use my Secure Key. Now, at the moment if I want to log in to my online banking account, I simply fire up a web browser, enter my twelve alphanumeric character user ID, then my date of birth and then three of six numbers from my security number. Easy-peasy!

Soon, I will have to have my Secure Key with me when I want to log in. I’ll enter my user ID into the website, then put a four to eight digit PIN into my Secure Key, generate a code, enter the code into the website and then enter a keyphrase into the website. Phew!

Much more hassle and a potential inability to access anything if I don’t happen to have yet another credit card-sized device with me.

Grr!