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Postfinance restores e-banking after computer glitch

PostFinance, the banking division of the Post Office, was hit by a similar problem last September Keystone

Customers of one of Switzerland’s leading financial institutions – PostFinance – are again able to access e-banking services after a 24-hour computer problem that blocked the system.

A spokesman for the bank told the Swiss News Agency on Tuesday that the bank’s 1.7 million customers had been able to use the online banking service since midday on Monday. The bank said the unidentified computer problem began on Sunday.

PostFinance, the banking division of the Post Office, said in a statement on Monday that no customer data had been affected by the incident and it ruled out an attack by hackers.

PostFinance, the number five in Switzerland’s financial service sector, was also a victim of a major computer problem last September.

IT experts say the recurrent technical breakdowns could be the symptom of a general flaw in the system, showing its vulnerability to attacks by botnets which overload a target with spam requests.

The incidents appear to be in contrast to the company’s marketing pitch: “As number one for financial transactions in Switzerland, we guarantee trouble-free cash flow on a daily basis,” as PostFinance states on its website.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR