Looking for Better Online Banking Protection?
November 28th, 2011
It pays to operate privately
From making travel arrangements to printing postage, more and more people are using the Internet to automate and simplify their lives. It’s certainly the case when it comes to money management. According to msn.com, online banking is one of the fastest-growing Internet activities. Today, consumers and businesses can access their account information in real time, pay bills and
order checks with a click of the mouse.
One of the biggest benefits of online banking is that it gives you access to your money, anytime, from any computer where you have Internet service. You can literally manage your money from your living room laptop, the public library or that cozy little Internet café down the street. But while the convenience of being able to access your money from any computer is nice, it’s also important not to sacrifice the security of your account information. Identity thieves are looking for ways to steal your personal information, and public computers could give them a dangerous window to your hard-earned money.
If you have a choice to do your banking online from your own computer or from a public one, you should always choose your own computer. If, however, you are forced to use a public computer, there are some precautions you can take.
According to Microsoft security, these steps include:
Don’t save your username or password on a public computer. Some websites and programs automatically do that for you. That’s why you should check the computer’s browser and disable this feature before you log in to your accounts.
Before exiting a public computer, be sure to log out of any websites that you have logged into. Many people mistakenly think that closing the browser window will accomplish this – it doesn’t.
Never leave a public computer unattended.If you have to leave it, even for a few minutes, log out. It may take you a little extra time to log back in, but it could end up saving you a whole lot of money if your account information gets stolen.
Cover your tracks. Internet Explorer, for example, offers private browsing that helps hide traces of activity.
Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder. Identify thieves sometimes hang around public computers, so be vigilant.
Try not to enter sensitive information, since these computers may have programs that record all your keystrokes, including your passwords and usernames.
You incur the least amount of risk when banking online from your own computer. Of course, you still want to be careful with your own computer and make sure no one has unauthorized access to it. There’s no question that banking online is convenient. By being vigilant and using your own computer whenever possible, you’ll make your online banking experience more secure too.
