Internett Banking - A Word Of Caution
by tpcedwards on 2007-09-23
Internett banking has rapidly grown over the last 3-5 years. You find advertisements for it everywhere. And why not? Internett banking makes doing your normal banking activity so much more convenient than ever before. You can find Internett banking at all major banks online.
It's now possible to not only do your normal banking, but you can also invest money in an online savings account, take out a loan, pay for insurance premiums and even pay your bills through your Internett banking account. This can be done from anywhere in the world. But, that brings up an important question. Just how secure is Internett banking? How safe is your money?
When you talk with any bank they will all tell you the same basic things, internett banking is extremely safe and secure. They will tell you that they have installed firewalls that are the newest in technology and the best available. They will tell you that their login systems are the most secure systems in place and protect you from would be thieves who may try to gain access to your account. And that sounds great doesn't it? But, keep in mind that while this is top level security and you may never experience a problem, hackers can tap into just about any system they want. This is proven virtually every week when you hear stories on the news about hackers gaining access to millions of credit card accounts, or social security numbers. Nothing can ever be 100% secure.
When you open up any new Internett banking account, you'll be given a login name and password. Make sure you never give out your information to anyone else. Keep it safe and secure, and don't store it on your computer.
Another important security point to mention is email. I'm sure you have heard about the email scams over the years in which scammers will send you an email telling you that you need to update your account information and to send in your personal info, etc. It's a hoax. These people will take that information and clean out your account in no time flat! You would be shocked at how many people do send in their info. If you get such an email, call your bank and ask them about it. No bank will send you an email like that.
You may want to change your password each and every month in order to further reduce the risk of potential hackers gaining access to your account.
When using Internett banking services on your computer, log out each time you are online. Don't just walk away. And never do this on a public terminal or a non-secure connection. For instance, if you're online at the library, log out when you're finished. Why is this so important? If you don't log off a public terminal the next person to use it can easily get access to your account information. It's a sure recipe for disaster.
Online banking is here to stay. It is so convenient to do your banking online when you want to do it. And by using a little common sense and being careful with your information, Internett banking is a very safe way of doing your daily banking.
It's now possible to not only do your normal banking, but you can also invest money in an online savings account, take out a loan, pay for insurance premiums and even pay your bills through your Internett banking account. This can be done from anywhere in the world. But, that brings up an important question. Just how secure is Internett banking? How safe is your money?
When you talk with any bank they will all tell you the same basic things, internett banking is extremely safe and secure. They will tell you that they have installed firewalls that are the newest in technology and the best available. They will tell you that their login systems are the most secure systems in place and protect you from would be thieves who may try to gain access to your account. And that sounds great doesn't it? But, keep in mind that while this is top level security and you may never experience a problem, hackers can tap into just about any system they want. This is proven virtually every week when you hear stories on the news about hackers gaining access to millions of credit card accounts, or social security numbers. Nothing can ever be 100% secure.
When you open up any new Internett banking account, you'll be given a login name and password. Make sure you never give out your information to anyone else. Keep it safe and secure, and don't store it on your computer.
Another important security point to mention is email. I'm sure you have heard about the email scams over the years in which scammers will send you an email telling you that you need to update your account information and to send in your personal info, etc. It's a hoax. These people will take that information and clean out your account in no time flat! You would be shocked at how many people do send in their info. If you get such an email, call your bank and ask them about it. No bank will send you an email like that.
You may want to change your password each and every month in order to further reduce the risk of potential hackers gaining access to your account.
When using Internett banking services on your computer, log out each time you are online. Don't just walk away. And never do this on a public terminal or a non-secure connection. For instance, if you're online at the library, log out when you're finished. Why is this so important? If you don't log off a public terminal the next person to use it can easily get access to your account information. It's a sure recipe for disaster.
Online banking is here to stay. It is so convenient to do your banking online when you want to do it. And by using a little common sense and being careful with your information, Internett banking is a very safe way of doing your daily banking.
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