Security

You obviously want to do your business via the internet as securely as possible. Therefore, we, and the suppliers we use, attach great importance to the security and protection of this website and the protection of data.

With a view to protecting the interests of users, we and our suppliers do our utmost in this respect and we will also take the necessary measures and make the necessary arrangements. We also aim to make the use as straightforward as possible. Below is a brief selection of the activities performed in this context:

  • To protect your data, the internet environment is protected with firewalls
  • Data traffic with confidential or personal information (including logging in, retrieving portfolio data, placing orders and suchlike) is secured by means of encryption (SSL)
  • Username and password will be communicated to you separately
  • An external auditor has examined security aspects of the design and operation of the relevant systems and administrative procedures
  • We meet the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act (Wet bescherming Persoonsgegevens) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens)

Although we set very high safety standards, the safety of the internet can never be guaranteed 100%. The security technology used for the protection of this Website and the protection of data is constantly being updated and tested.

We also assume that you, as a user of this Website, take precautions in order to improve safety when using the internet. In this way we jointly minimise possible risks of using the internet.

How do we use email?
We will almost always communicate with you by email. Our communication has a number of characteristics so you can recognise whether the email is really from us or if there could be fraud:

  • Emails are usually personally addressed. This also applies to the attachments that we enclose
  • In an email we will not embed hyperlinks to a website where you must enter your secure information
  • We will never ask you to confirm personal information by email
  • We will never contact you by telephone or email to ask for your password

If you are in doubt whether requests really originate from us, please contact the Mijn Pensioen Customer Service on 0800 – 645 67 36.

What you can do?

Check secure connection
It is important that you are certain that the website you are visiting is actually from Essentie Pensioen and that the website is secure. This is especially important if you have not entered the name of the website yourself, but have accessed it via a hyperlink. You can verify the security of the connection by performing a few simple steps.

Step 1.

  • Open the https://mijnpensioen.gsam.com website in your browser
  • Check that the URL starts with https://
  • Make sure that the green lock icon at the top of your screen is closed

Step 2.

  • Click the green lock icon on your screen and click View Certificates or Details
  • You can then see to whom the certificate was issued and its validity

Protect yourself
Protect your personal information. Your pension account number, username, password and answer to your personal question provide access to your account. Your username and password are strictly confidential. You are responsible for the protection of this data. Never write them down. Never provide such information to someone you do not trust or know. Never provide the information in an email. Be careful with your password. Do not use the same passwords everywhere and avoid obvious passwords such as your date of birth. Change your password regularly.

Recommendations to protect your PC

  • Install an anti-virus program, anti-spyware tools, personal firewall and keep these up-to-date
  • Keep your operating system and software up-to-date
  • Only use software from a known and trusted supplier
  • Let the virus scanner regularly scan your entire computer
  • Check whether your internet provider offers antivirus measures and take advantage of these
  • Know who you do business with. Do not open any emails or attachments that you do not trust because you do not know the sender
  • Do not respond to spam. There is not much point in unsubscribing with the sender of spam. In general, spammers cannot be trusted. Spam continues to exist because there are always people who respond

What should you do if something goes wrong
If you suspect misuse of your account (for example, you see a suspicious transaction on your Mijn Pensioen account) or if you receive email messages on behalf of Mijn Pensioen, but suspect that this message was not actually sent by Mijn Pensioen, please inform us immediately about your suspicion and contact the Mijn Pensioen Customer Service on 0800 – 645 67 36.

Phishing
Phishing involves ‘fishing’ for personal information by fraudsters. Fraudsters use the internet to search for login codes for online banking, for example. By sending emails that mimic those from a bank’s helpdesk, for example, fraudsters try to steal your confidential information. Fraudsters often play on your fear of being swindled or losing your account. The email often contains a hyperlink to a fake website, where you will be asked to enter your username and password. Never respond to such emails and thoroughly check the connection to the Website as described in Step 1 and 2. Therefore never respond to such messages, only use the official telephone number provided by the institution, and be cautious about providing personal information over the phone.