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There is no greater feeling than receiving your paycheque, is there? After an arduous month at work, the number of zeroes on the cheque makes it all worthwhile. But what if one day you get up and log on to the Net and realise that your money - your hard-earned money - is reduced to nothing but zeroes! This is not fiction anymore. It could happen to any of us.
Internet banking has become an easy and convenient way to conduct financial transactions. But like most things on the Internet, the onus of a safe and secure banking experience is on you, the user.
To make sure that you can sleep soundly at night, here are some steps to follow:
1. Never access your bank account from a public computer - Always use your own PC to log in to your account. Public computers may have programs running on them that monitor your keystrokes, which can be used by people to obtain your account password.
2. Don’t fall for phishing - Sometimes you might get an innocent email, apparently from your bank, requesting you for your account details. It’s a trap. Do not fall for it. A bank will never ask you for your Internet banking password, your debit card PIN number, or credit card or CVV number.
3. Log off - Always. Never just close your browser. Follow the instructions on your bank website to securely log off after each session.
4. Protect your password - Passwords are the key to accessing your account. Do not disclose them to anyone, not even bank employees. Frame a password that is hard to crack – let it not be your nick name, birthday, your spouse’s or kid’s name. Use a combination of letters and numbers, uppercase and lowercase. Also, change your password often.
5. Be wary of fake websites - Always check whether the website at which you log in your account details is genuine. There are fake websites out there that parade themselves as well-known bank websites to procure your account details. Some of them are very convincing. Check the address of the website carefully before typing in your password. Also check for the 128-bit encryption seal (VeriSign) on the home page that loads up.
6. Close all other websites - Before you access your account, close other sites. This ensures that your personal information is not accessed by any other websites which could be running some malware.
7. Install a firewall - Firewalls can go a long way in ensuring that your computer is not subject to unauthorised access. Install the latest anti-virus programs and update your computer’s security patches regularly as well.
8. Look for the padlock symbol - On your bank’s website, look for the padlock symbol on the bottom right of the page to ensure that the site is in secure mode before entering your personal details.
Always remember that there could be people out there who are just looking for one slip up from you to get your account details. Stay alert and your money will be safe.
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