Simple steps to keep online banking safe
Is it safe to bank online?
"You probably don't have a whole lot to be concerned about," says Greg Daugherty, executive editor at Consumer Reports.
"You could make a good argument that online banking is actually safer than traditional banking because thieves have all kinds of ways to get your paper records and online transactions are encrypted."
Internet security expert Linda Criddle, who runs the Web site www.ilookbothways.com says you need to ask yourself three questions before jumping online:
- Is your computer secure? You must have up-to-date security software.
- Is your connection secure? Make sure you have a firewall turned on. And if you use a wireless network, it needs to be secure, so someone can't sniff your personal information.
- Do you have a secure password? "It doesn't' have to be hard to remember, just hard to guess," Criddle says.
You also need to be extremely careful when you conduct banking business away from home. Your laptop needs to be secure and so does your wireless connection.
Criddle warns against using computers at Internet cafes or hotel business centers because you don't know if that computer is loaded with spyware that will grab everything you do.
The bottom line: If you're away from home and don't have 100 percent confidence that everything is secure - don't take the chance.
.
For more information
FDIC: Safe Internet Banking
ABC: How Can I Bank Online Safely?
Consumer Reports: Best Way to Stay Safe Online
"You probably don't have a whole lot to be concerned about," says Greg Daugherty, executive editor at Consumer Reports.
"You could make a good argument that online banking is actually safer than traditional banking because thieves have all kinds of ways to get your paper records and online transactions are encrypted."
Internet security expert Linda Criddle, who runs the Web site www.ilookbothways.com says you need to ask yourself three questions before jumping online:
- Is your computer secure? You must have up-to-date security software.
- Is your connection secure? Make sure you have a firewall turned on. And if you use a wireless network, it needs to be secure, so someone can't sniff your personal information.
- Do you have a secure password? "It doesn't' have to be hard to remember, just hard to guess," Criddle says.
You also need to be extremely careful when you conduct banking business away from home. Your laptop needs to be secure and so does your wireless connection.
Criddle warns against using computers at Internet cafes or hotel business centers because you don't know if that computer is loaded with spyware that will grab everything you do.
The bottom line: If you're away from home and don't have 100 percent confidence that everything is secure - don't take the chance.
.
For more information
FDIC: Safe Internet Banking
ABC: How Can I Bank Online Safely?
Consumer Reports: Best Way to Stay Safe Online
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