Tips For Safe Internet Banking - What You Should Know

Many people now successfully run their bank accounts on the internet, which gives them 24 hour access to their finances. So whether it is a personal or business account, it makes it easy to keep track of how things are going. The potential downside is that important personal details are now also available to anyone who can access this information but providing you are aware of certain practices and you use the security systems on your computer, this should not be a problem.

So what are the things that you need to look out for; the most common ones are phishing, malware and spyware. Phishing occurs when someone tries to get you to reveal information, such as your username and password for various accounts, including your bank account. The word is a play on 'fishing', as the fraudster puts out some bait and hopes that you bite. So what is this bait? It is usually in the form of an e-mail and will claim to be from your bank or other financial institution. It may ask you to verify your account details for their records or it may suggest that your account has already been hacked and they are just trying to sort this out. In the past these messages were easier to recognise as they looked unprofessional and most people were too suspicious to be fooled but now fraudsters are producing messages that look as though they could be from the relevant institution. (As it happens, your bank would never ask you to divulge account details or passwords in an e-mail). These messages may also have links or attachments that you are asked to open. If you do so, it allows the sender to view any information that you type in. You also need to be suspicious if you receive anything that greets you as a 'valued customer', as your bank would use your name. Even if you do reach an official bank website, you need to look out for pop-ups that request similar information. As hackers know that once you have reached a safe site, you are likely to be off your guard.

Malicious software, known as 'malware' is used to gain access to systems, where it can then gather information about the user. The term malware includes worms, viruses and spyware. Worms are computer programmes which use a network to spread that programme to other users on the same network. The particular problem with this is that the user does not need to do anything and would not know there was a problem until something went wrong, or the security system on their computer issued a warning. Viruses, as the name suggests, can replicate themselves and spread to other computers, either through a network or via CDs or DVDs. So you need to be careful about what you run on your system, especially if a programme or device is borrowed from someone. The lender could be just as unaware as you are that there is a problem. Spyware is installed on a computer to collect information about your habits when using the computer, such as which sites you visit. This could be a useful device but if it is on your system you should know about it.

So what do you need to do to bank safely on-line? You need to use up to date anti-virus software and make sure that you always install the latest updates. Do not write down any login names, passwords or PINs. Use secure websites, which will have the locked padlock icon at the bottom of the browser page. When you want to access any system where you put in your financial details, make sure that you type the address details into the web browser. Do not copy or click on links provided in e-mails to reach a website.

Many people now bank on-line and consequently banks, building societies and computing companies are working on your behalf to ensure that you can do so safely. If you receive any requests for information always ask yourself, who is requesting this and why? If you are still unsure, contact your bank and just check to see if it came from them. If you use all the on-line security available and just good old-fashioned common sense. There is no reason why you cannot bank safely on the Internet.

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Very Important Security Tips for Net Banking

Now a days almost all banks provide us with online/net banking facility. Net banking can be very useful in paying various types of bills online, for online shopping etc.

A week ago one of my friend's online bank account got hacked (accessed by some unknown person)! Her bank account was compromised because she entered her confidential bank related details to some fraud website! So, it's very essential that you maintain security of your net banking account.

Following are some very important security tips for you, if you are also maintaining an online bank account or are going to maintain in near future:

Be careful when responding to emails: you may get emails which seems like they are coming from your bank. The main purpose of such emails is to seek confidential information. This activity is commonly known as phishing. Through such messages, you may get directed to websites which appears to be genuine and will ask you to enter your confidential details - simply discard/delete such emails.

Always Bear in Mind That:

Bank will never ask for any confidential information such as passwords, customer ID, credit card number, PIN, CVV, date of birth and so on over an email! A phishing email will normally have a tone of urgency like Your account will be temporarily suspended and therefore please login to keep your account active. Remember: No bank will send such emails to its customers! If you are doubtful about the credibility of an email, NEVER click on any link in the email. This may trigger malicious code being installed on your PC. Before you share any information on a website in response to an email, always assure that the URL shown in the email matches the URL of the bank's website. If it doesn't, discard such emails Check for the yellow security pad lock icon at the bottom right side of the webpage in your browser, when you are connected to your net banking website.

Ensure your Personal Computer is protected:

Fraudsters send genuine looking emails that contain viruses and trojans. These viruses/trojans, install a malicious code on computer without user knowledge and then they extract confidential information which can be used to access bank accounts!

Here are few Important Action Points that you should always remember:

Keep your PC updated with the latest Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware software. There are many great free security tools available for your PC Install a Personal Firewall on your PC to protect your account Keep your Operating System updated with the latest security patches Do not click on links or open attachments in unknown or unsolicited (spam) emails Do not to make purchases on unknown sites or sites whose credentials are doubtful

Never transfer funds or share your bank account details with unknown /non-validated sources: many phishing fraudsters are located overseas. They need a money mule to route the money into their country of origin. This can be easy money, but is completely illegal. Such requests may come to you through emails, advertisements, instant messaging/sms, even in news paper advertisements and on social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook etc.

Simply discard such doubtful messages if they are coming from some other country.

Additional Tips:

If your bank provides you with a virtual keyboard on it's net banking login page, than make use of it, especially for typing passwords. Make sure your are using strong password which is uneasy to guess Check if your computer is running any harmful processes - In case it's behaving strangely You can also try Browser Sandboxing and Browser Encryption - Only if you don't have or don't update your security softwares!

If ever, you feel any problem contact your bank immediately. Remember maintaining your bank account security is in your hands only!

Securing Your Privacy in an Online World   Internet Cyber Security: How Do Firewalls Work?   How to Keep Children Safe While Browsing the Internet   VPN Services Vs Proxy Services