Once a customer starts in with online banking, it seems to become a necessity. The convenience of being able to check balances, transfer funds, or to pay bills from home and at any time of day or night is just too compelling a reason to continue with banking from the home computer.
Many are using their mobile devices to do their banking while away from home and this is adding a new element to convenience. There is a battle between those who think that no one will be hacking into the wirelessoperating systems or de-encrypting transmissions, and those who anticipate hacking happening at some time in the future. It is important then to know and to use the security, disabling and other features of the device in order to gain the maximum protection of any banking passwords, history and accessibility.
But convenience in any mobile or on line banking comes with risks and with responsibilities if the bank accounts are to remain secure and less vulnerable to looting!
The first tip is to create the most difficult and unique passwords for each of the online banking and finance accounts. This means that at least 9 characters, with a combination of letters and numbers is called for. Also, the letters should be a combination of upper and lower case. Also, the passwords should be changed from time to time. Of course, this means keeping a handwritten record of these complicated passwords somewhere, especially if there are multiple accounts, but it is worth it to keep the hackers from figuring out how to gain access to your bank and financial accounts.
The second tip is to be extremely careful not to use public computers anywhere for banking transactions. These computers can easily contain software that will capture your keystrokes and allow thieves to reconstruct your password and other transactions.
Third, get the best security software available. Currently the agreement seems to be about Kapersky and Trend Micro. The best security software will have automatic updates. Do not ignore or cancel the updates! They have arrived for a reason, that reason being the determination, persistence and creativity of those who are after an easy payday of looting through your computer for your identity information and helping themselves to your cash!
It helps to clear cookies, spyware, adware and the cache before and after you do banking from the home computer or mobile device. All of those sites that you visited do not have the right to know where it is that you do your online banking! This information, once sold to anyone who can afford it, may be the key to the targeted spoof and other fake e-mails that appear to be from your bank, but which really direct you to a hack site that prompts you to give up a password and other information.
While none of the tips and tricks available provide total assurance that your computer will not be hacked or that you will not be prey to the most determined of campaigns, but they will help to develop unique disciplines and randomized controls that are hard to get past.
In summary, as we expect to not have the rest of the customers crowding in and peeking over our shoulders during our real world bank visits, it is important to keep the web people, businesses and criminals from doing the same. Patience, caution and even a bit of paranoia is the best way to approach the practice of banking online and via our wireless devices.