Safeguard Your Identity: Bank Online with a Sense of Security
Computers & Technology → Site Security
- Author Todd Feinman
- Published April 18, 2009
- Word count 735
With the eco-chic move to a paperless society, and the convenience factor of receiving bills and paying bills online, millions of people are banking online these days. When you see headlines such as "University of Florida Breach Exposes Nearly 100,000" or "Missing Arkansas Background Records Raise Concerns," you start to wonder how safe online transactions really are. It seems that an advanced society like ours has a lock-down on our personal banking information. Our bank websites have the little lock icons that ensure encryption and security, right?
The security factor seems high until you realize that almost 10 million Americans were victims of identity fraud in 2008, which is over a 20 percent increase since 2007. With over 2 million personal data records breached since 2005, millions have been exposed to the ill effects that being a victim of identity theft can quickly have. And just like you use the Internet for convenience, thieves are conveniently using it to access your bank accounts, steal you identity, and steal your money
7 Steps to Being a Smart & Safe Online Banker
Take these seven steps when banking online for added security. While nothing is 100 percent effective in keeping the identity thieves at bay, there are ways to drastically reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
-
Create strong passwords. The entire preface of a password is to protect your information, but there are ways to create more effective passwords. First, use a combination of capital and lowercase letters. Second, create passwords that are at least eight characters long.
-
Use unique passwords. Most people have the habit of creating one or two passwords and then using those passwords for everything. The problem with this is that once a thief figures out your password, they can use it to gain access to one account after another—gaining more and more personal information on you, making you more and more vulnerable. Make sure that you use unique passwords for your banking information.
-
Sign off. It’s easy to get distracted and walk away from your computer with your bank account still open online. Some banks automatically log you off if your activity goes dormant, but you can help keep your information safe and secure by logging off of your account when you’re done—each and every time.
-
Look for the safety lock. Always make sure you are working on a secure connection. Look for the little safety lock icon in your browser that indicates your connection is safe and secure (SSL).
-
Type the bank web address. Always make sure you’re really on your banking site by typing the address into your browser rather than clicking on links from emails. Many thieves create phishing sites to look like your bank’s website, but it’s really a ruse to gain your logon and password information.
-
Don’t save your passwords. Many websites and even programs on your computer give you the option of saving or "remembering" your passwords. Opt to type in your password instead. This keeps the wrong someone from gaining access to your accounts. Don’t give them the information they need!
-
Don’t go public. Never access your accounts from public computers or computers shared by someone else. This can expose private information and put it at the fingertips of thieves.
Banking online is quick, easy, and convenient. It allows you to take control of your personal finances with a few clicks of your mouse. It can also make you vulnerable to identity thieves, which can take a toll on your finances—draining your bank account and exposing your personal information. Practice safe and secure banking by following these seven steps. It’ll keep the convenience of online banking in your life and the inconvenience of being a victim of identity theft out of your life.
About:
Identity Finder, LLC was founded in 2001 by innovative security experts. The company has quickly grown to become a leader in identity theft prevention by helping millions of consumers, small businesses, and enterprises in over fifty countries.
Identify Finder searches and secures personal information. Using proprietary AnyFind technology, Identity Finder intelligently locates social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data inside documents, spreadsheets, e-mails, web browsers, and other system areas. Beyond identification, our technology helps securely shred or encrypt information. Install Identity Finder today to stay steps ahead of the criminals.
To learn more or download a free edition, go to http://www.identityfinder.com/free.
Todd Feinman is an internationally published author of several books about information technology including a text for Microsoft on securing Windows. Over the past fifteen years, he has appeared on television and written dozens of articles on the topics of security and privacy. He is co-founder and CEO of Identity Finder (www.identityfinder.com), a leading niche innovator of privacy technologies that specialize in developing software solutions to meet business and consumer needs.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- A Brief Guide: The A-Z of Tailgating Attacks
- Essential Tips for Proofreading and Editing University Assignments
- Stop the Bleeding
- Top 10 Digital Forensics Tools: An In-Depth Exploration
- All You Need To Know To Secure Your Data From Phishing
- Crypto Security Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Your Crypto
- Advancing Email Validation in Laravel
- Fortifying the Digital Fortress: Understanding the Foundations of Cybersecurity Architecture
- How is GenAI Changing Cybersecurity?
- AI-Enhanced Cybersecurity Trends for 2024
- The Game of Trust: A Guide to the Future of KYC in Gaming
- AI in Cybersecurity: The New Frontier in Digital Protection
- Metadata: The Attorney’s Secret Weapon in Civil Litigation
- The importance of cyber security
- 5 Reasons to Comply with CMMC
- Payless CCTV Security Camera
- How Bitdefender Protect From Pegasus Spyware
- Printer Security? Here Are 6 Tips To Keep Your Business Safe
- Why it is important to install Access control system at your business
- Powerful Keyloggers for Windows
- Website security check: Tips on how to protect your website from hackers
- How will cyber threats evolve in 2020?
- When to choose red teaming over penetration testing: A guide to a robust cybersecurity program
- Protect your files with drive image backup software
- How Cloud Management Values Change Your Business
- The U.S. Government and Zero Day Vulnerabilities
- Spyware – Yet Another Cyber Menace
- Reset lost passwords in Windows with Active@ Password Changer
- Antivirus measures you should know when your PC is infected with a virus
- Security Fit For Royalty!