Can't reach NS&I login page

[#1]

@Champnet 

"It's time that businesses and the public realized that IT Systems are not perfect and IT System Security is not  totally secure."

I think that businesses already do, (at least privately), but what can they do about these breaches, whilst ensuring that online services are both accessible and usable for the average, non-technical, general public?

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[#2]

@Mr_Paul There should be contingency plans which currently don't exist or are a long way down the list of inportance.

[#3]

@Champnet 

What sort of contingency plans do you have in mind, that as I said in my previous post, still ensures "that online services are both accessible and usable for the average, non-technical, general public"?

I don't know what your background is, but mine is live television broadcasting, where backups and contingency plans are essential. The problem is that the equipment designed to "fall-over" to backup systems can also fail.

If the changeover is manual, I have been involved in events where there was so much contingency and so many backup circuits planned in advance, that nobody was actually certain what the main transmission path was anymore!

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[#4]

@Mr_Paul  Manual contingency plans for the total loss of IT Systems. I just think we've become too reliant on them.     Those pound coins in your pocket best hang on to them..............

[#5]

@Champnet 

"I just think we've become too reliant on them.     Those pound coins in your pocket best hang on to them.............."

On that, we both agree! 

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[#6]

"This email is to inform you that the London Stock Exchange RNS Data Feed is currently facing technical issues."

'Houston! We have a problem...'

[#7]

Ironically, American Airlines is pinning the blame on a cybersecurity company, Crowdstrike.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrowdStrike

[#8]

I submitted a formal complaint to NS&I in the hope that it would get something moving either with themselves or PN.

I also now find that everything is working OK again, so maybe it helped?

I've attached my formal response from NS&I, which enforces your point that "No-one will" 🙄.

Bill.

[#9]

@168bill  That response from NS&I is appalling and absolute nonsense, Plusnet did not block the website so the technical team's explanation is totally wrong.

I wonder if it is worth raising a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman service, whether they will investigate total technical incompetence of NS&I website support staff is debateable. It's not really a financial matter and as it's working again is there anything to be gained.🤔

[#10]

@RealAleMadrid I couldn't agree more, my first response was to do just as you suggest.

However, I then decided that it would end up taking up a lot of time and effort to get nowhere and as you say, it's not a financial issue so very unlikely the Ombudsman would take it on.

I'd already wasted days on the NS&I 'X' messaging system trying to explain to them why it wasn't down to blocking by PN, but once it was clear that I could login OK via my phone using data service, they lost all interest and suggested I could raise a formal complaint. So I did! 😠.

As it's now working again (I only hope my formal complaint jogged someone into action), I have better things to do with my time and so will just leave it for now 🙄.

[#11]

I reckon the problems are related to flexible SSLs but difficult to prove as there are too many variables involved.

[#12]

Good afternoon guys - statement from our side regarding the situation.

We were made aware last week that our customers were unable to access their NS&I accounts. This was related to routing configuration issues. Our network team have applied a temporary fix to enable this, and are working with the NS&I team on a permanent fix, to enable the correct configuration. 

[#13]

Interesting.

I received a reply today to my letter to NS&I.

"I have contacted our technical team and they have explained Plusnet have blocked our website and therefore NS&I customers who use Plusnet as their internet provider are unable to access our website.

I can confirm the issue has not been caused by us or our systems.

While the issue with Plusnet is ongoing, you can access our website via a different internet provider or by using your mobile internet data."

And yet reports above were that Zen Internet customers were also having issues.

Will we ever know what this was all about? I doubt it!

PS. But now see preceding post, above.

Also, just checked and the Royal Mail site previously inaccessible can also now be reached.

Log in | Pro Shipping | Royal Mail Group Ltd

[#14]

This sounds like on the brink of a plausible explanation.  The temporary nature of the current fix is a little worrying - I hope that Plusnet and NS&I don't relax in achieving the permanent fix.  How do we keep the pressure up to get the permanent solution?

[#15]

I was able to get to the main NS&I page fine, and from there to the secure login page. However, if I tried to go directly to the secure page, I got the "too many redirects" error page. 

My thought was that, for security reasons, they are looking at something that is set by the "referrer page", and only if that's there, would they accept the request (would be a reasonable thing to do to slightly improve security).

If course, if you still can't get to the MAIN NS&I page, then that's another issue.