Online Banking Do’s and Don’ts

While it’s true that the Internet, despite its fundamental design flaws, has the “potential” for safe and secure financial transactions, safe banking online relies on you making good choices, and decisions, that will help you avoid costly surprises, or even carefully crafted scams and phishing schemes.

Despite all the positive hype surrounding financial institutions’ system security, we have learned, much to our detriment, that there are no absolutes in computer system security.

The inescapable fact remains; you are your own best protection while conducting financial transactions on the Internet. So it’s important that you learn about, and take advantage of, the active security features offered by your financial institution.

Examples of security features offered by financial institution:

Encryption is the process of scrambling private information to prevent unauthorized access. To remind you that your transmission is encrypted, most Internet browsers display a small icon on your screen that resembles a lock, or a key, when you conduct secure transactions online. Look for this symbol so that you have reason to believe your connection is, in fact, secure.

Passwords, or personal identification numbers, should be used when accessing an account online. Your password should be unique to you, and this is extremely important, you should change it regularly. Do not use birthdates or other numbers or words, that may be easy for others to guess.

Always carefully control to whom you give your password. For example, if you use a financial company that requires your password in order to gather your financial data from various sources, make sure that you are aware of the company’s privacy and security practices.

General security over your personal computer such as virus protection and physical access controls should be used and updated regularly.

Tips on safe computing practices when conducting your online banking at home, or at a public computer:

Never leave your computer, even at home, unattended, once you have signed in to online banking.

After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out, clear your cache, and close your browser. Often, it is easy to forget to sign out of an online banking session

Keep your password and card number safe. This seems like a no brainer, but surprisingly, many users do forget this critical step in the process.

Do not share, disclose, or provide your bank card number, or password, to another party, or website, other than your bank. Most banks will not send you an email requesting this information. If your bank practices this very unsafe routine; you should change banks.

Do not save your bank card number, or password, on a publicly accessed computer.

If you do use a public access computer such as at an Internet café or public library, (absolutely NOT recommended), to be safe, change your password after completing your session by calling your bank’s telephone banking number.

When selecting a password, choose a series of characters that cannot be easily guessed by someone else. The best passwords are made up of an alpha-numeric combination that are more than eight characters long, and a combination of capital and lower case letters.

This is an example of an Online Banking email phishing attempt.

Final words – don’t use:

A password you use for any other service.

Your name, or a close relative’s name.

Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative.

Your bank account number, or bank card number.

Do not share your personal verification question answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any emails. It’s simple; giving your password answers to another person, or company, places your finances and privacy at risk.

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How to Conduct Online Banking Safely

I’ve noticed a surge recently, in search engine referrals to this site on online banking fraud, so it’s time for a refresher on how to safely carry out your online banking.

As use of the Internet continues to expand exponentially, banks and other financial institutions have increased their use of the Internet to deliver products and enhanced financial services, or simply to improve communications with consumers.

The Internet, despite its fundamental flaws, does offer the potential for safe, convenient, and new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time.

While it’s true that the Internet has the “potential” for safe and secure financial transactions, safe banking online relies on you making good choices and decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises, or even carefully crafted scams and phishing schemes.

Despite all the hype concerning inpenetrateable system security, we have learned, much to our detriment, that no such inpenetrateable systems exist.

The inescapable fact remains; you are your own best protection while conducting financial transactions on the Internet. So it’s important that you learn about, and take advantage of, security features offered by your financial institution.

Some examples are:

Encryption is the process of scrambling private information to prevent unauthorized access. To remind you that your transmission is encrypted, most Internet browsers display a small icon on your screen that looks like a lock or a key, when you conduct secure transactions online. Avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, through unsecured e-mail.

Passwords, or personal identification numbers, should be used when accessing an account online. Your password should be unique to you, and this is extremely important, you should change it regularly. Do not use birthdates or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess.

Always carefully control to whom you give your password. For example, if you use a financial company that requires your passwords in order to gather your financial data from various sources, make sure that you are aware of the company’s privacy and security practices.

General security over your personal computer such as virus protection and physical access controls should be used and updated regularly. Contact your hardware and software suppliers, or Internet service provider, to ensure you have the latest in security updates.

Tips on safe computing practices when conducting your online banking at home, or at a public computer:

Never leave your computer unattended once you have signed in to online banking.

After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of online banking, clear your cache, and close your browser. Often, it is easy to forget to sign out of an online banking session

Keep your password and card number safe. This seems like a no brainer, but surprisingly many users do forget this critical step in the process.

Do not share, disclose, or provide your bank card number, or password, to another party or website other than your bank. Most banks will not send you an email requesting this information. If your bank practices this very unsafe routine; you should change banks.

Do not save your bank card number or password on a publicly accessed computer.

If you do use a public access computer such as at an Internet café or public library, to be safe change your password after completing your session by calling your bank’s telephone banking number.

When selecting a password, choose a series of characters that cannot be easily guessed by anyone else. The best passwords are made up of an alpha-numeric combination that’s more than four characters long and a combination of capital and lower case letters.

This is an example of an Online Banking email phishing attempt.

Don’t use:

A password you use for any other service.

Your name or a close relative’s name.

Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative.

Your bank account number or bank card number.

Do not share your personal verification question answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any emails. It’s simple; giving your password answers to another person, or company, places your finances and privacy at risk.

For an article on Phishing and how to protect yourself see Gone Phishing? Protect Yourself – Stop · Think · Click , elsewhere in this Blog.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Online Banking Safety Tips

As use of the Internet continues to expand exponentially, banks and other financial institutions have increased their use of the Internet to deliver products and enhanced financial services, or simply to improve communications with consumers.

The Internet, despite its fundamental flaws, does offer the potential for safe, convenient, and new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time.

While it’s true that the Internet has the “potential” for safe and secure financial transactions, safe banking online relies on you making good choices and decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises, or even carefully crafted scams and phishing schemes.

Despite all the hype concerning inpenetrateable system security, we have learned, much to our detriment, that no such inpenetrateable systems exist. The inescapable fact remains; you are your own best protection while conducting financial transactions on the Internet. So it’s important that you learn about, and take advantage of, security features offered by your financial institution.

Some examples are:

Encryption is the process of scrambling private information to prevent unauthorized access. To remind you that your transmission is encrypted, most Internet browsers display a small icon on your screen that looks like a lock or a key, when you conduct secure transactions online. Avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, through unsecured e-mail.

Passwords, or personal identification numbers, should be used when accessing an account online. Your password should be unique to you, and this is extremely important, you should change it regularly. Do not use birthdates or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess.

Always carefully control to whom you give your password. For example, if you use a financial company that requires your passwords in order to gather your financial data from various sources, make sure that you are aware of the company’s privacy and security practices.

General security over your personal computer such as virus protection and physical access controls should be used and updated regularly. Contact your hardware and software suppliers, or Internet service provider, to ensure you have the latest in security updates.

(Click pic for larger)

Tips on safe computing practices when conducting your online banking at home, or at a public computer:

Never leave your computer unattended once you have signed in to online banking.

After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of online banking, clear your cache, and close your browser. Often, it is easy to forget to sign out of an online banking session

Keep your password and card number safe. This seems like a no brainer, but surprisingly many users do forget this critical step in the process.

Do not share, disclose, or provide your bank card number, or password, to another party or website other than your bank. Most banks will not send you an email requesting this information. If your bank practices this very unsafe routine; you should change banks.

Do not save your bank card number, or password, on a publicly accessed computer.

If you do use a public access computer such as at an Internet café or public library, to be safe change your password after completing your session by calling your bank’s telephone banking number.

When selecting a password, choose a series of characters that cannot be easily guessed by anyone else. The best passwords are made up of an alpha-numeric combination that’s more than four characters long and a combination of capital and lower case letters.

(Click pic for larger)

This is an example of an Online Banking email phishing attempt.

Don’t use:

A password you use for any other service.

Your name, or a close relative’s name.

Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative.

Your bank account number, or bank card number.

Do not share your personal verification question answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any emails. It’s simple; giving your password answers to another person, or company, places your finances and privacy at risk.

Online Banking – Be Safe, Not Sorry!

As use of the Internet continues to expand exponentially, banks and other financial institutions have increased their use of the Internet to deliver products and enhanced financial services, or simply to improve communications with consumers.

The Internet, despite its fundamental flaws, does offer the potential for safe, convenient, and new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time.

While it’s true that the Internet has the “potential” for safe and secure financial transactions, safe banking online relies on you making good choices and decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises, or even carefully crafted scams and phishing schemes.

Despite all the hype concerning inpenetrateable system security, we have learned, much to our detriment, that no such inpenetrateable systems exist. The inescapable fact remains; you are your own best protection while conducting financial transactions on the Internet. So it’s important that you learn about, and take advantage of, security features offered by your financial institution.

Some examples are:

Encryption is the process of scrambling private information to prevent unauthorized access. To remind you that your transmission is encrypted, most Internet browsers display a small icon on your screen that looks like a lock or a key, when you conduct secure transactions online. Avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, through unsecured e-mail.

Passwords, or personal identification numbers, should be used when accessing an account online. Your password should be unique to you, and this is extremely important, you should change it regularly. Do not use birthdates or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess.

Always carefully control to whom you give your password. For example, if you use a financial company that requires your passwords in order to gather your financial data from various sources, make sure that you are aware of the company’s privacy and security practices.

General security over your personal computer such as virus protection and physical access controls should be used and updated regularly. Contact your hardware and software suppliers, or Internet service provider, to ensure you have the latest in security updates.

Tips on safe computing practices when conducting your online banking at home, or at a public computer:

Never leave your computer unattended once you have signed in to online banking.

After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of online banking, clear your cache, and close your browser. Often, it is easy to forget to sign out of an online banking session

Keep your password and card number safe. This seems like a no brainer, but surprisingly many users do forget this critical step in the process.

Do not share, disclose, or provide your bank card number, or password, to another party or website other than your bank. Most banks will not send you an email requesting this information. If your bank practices this very unsafe routine; you should change banks.

Do not save your bank card number or password on a publicly accessed computer.

If you do use a public access computer such as at an Internet café or public library, to be safe change your password after completing your session by calling your bank’s telephone banking number.

When selecting a password, choose a series of characters that cannot be easily guessed by anyone else. The best passwords are made up of an alpha-numeric combination that’s more than four characters long and a combination of capital and lower case letters.

This is an example of an Online Banking email phishing attempt.

Don’t use:

A password you use for any other service.

Your name or a close relative’s name.

Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative.

Your bank account number or bank card number.

Do not share your personal verification question answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any emails. It’s simple; giving your password answers to another person, or company, places your finances and privacy at risk.

Online Banking Security – You Are Your Own Best Protection

As use of the Internet continues to expand, banks and other financial institutions are using the Internet to offer products and services, or otherwise enhance communications with consumers.

The Internet offers the potential for safe, convenient new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time. However, safe banking online involves making good choices; decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises, or scams.

You are your own best protection. So learn about and take advantage of security features offered by your financial institution.

 

Some examples are:

• Encryption is the process of scrambling private information to prevent unauthorized access. To show that your transmission is encrypted, most Internet browsers display a small icon on your screen that looks like a lock or a key, when you conduct secure transactions online. Avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, through unsecured e-mail.

• Passwords, or personal identification numbers, should be used when accessing an account online. Your password should be unique to you, and you should change it regularly. Do not use birthdates or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess.

• Always carefully control to whom you give your password. For example, if you use a financial company that requires your passwords in order to gather your financial data from various sources, make sure you learn about the company’s privacy and security practices.

• General security over your personal computer such as virus protection and physical access controls should be used and updated regularly. Contact your hardware and software suppliers, or Internet service provider, to ensure you have the latest in security updates.

 

Tips on safe computing practices when conducting your online banking at home, or at a public computer:

• Never leave your computer unattended once you have signed in to online banking.

• After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of online banking, clear your cache, and close your browser.

• Keep your password and card number safe.

• Do not share, disclose, or provide your bank card number, or password, to another party or website other than your bank. Most banks will not send you an email requesting this information.

• Do not save your bank card number or password on a publicly accessed computer.

• If using a public access computer such as an Internet café or public library, change your password after completing your session by calling your bank’s telephone banking number.

• When selecting a password, choose a series of characters that cannot be easily guessed by anyone else. The best passwords are made up of an alpha-numeric combination that’s more than four characters long and a combination of capital and lower case letters.

 

Don’t use:

• A password you use for any other service.

• Your name or a close relative’s name.

• Your birth date, telephone number or address, or those of a close relative.

• Your bank account number or bank card number.

Do not share your personal verification question answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any emails. Giving your password answers to another person or company places your finances and privacy at risk.

For an article on Phishing and how to protect yourself see Gone Phishing? Protect Yourself – Stop · Think · Click, elsewhere in this Blog.