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Do you use online banking? With nearly 80% of consumers using the service, I bet most of you are. I recently did a highly technical survey…all right, actually I polled all my friends on Facebook, and found that people have different levels of comfort while using online banking. Many have adopted online banking, but they still are not quite clear on how to keep their online banking a safe and pleasant experience. More and more people I meet ask if online banking is safe. The answer is a resounding yes!*
(You may notice that my answer contains an asterisk)
According to the a 2010 study by Javelin Strategy and research, 47% of consumers who use online banking do not have anti-virus on their PC. I am going to make this as clear as I possibly can: If you want to do online banking, pay bills or shop online, you must have a comprehensive security suite on your computer. Otherwise, how will you know if your bank password isn’t being stolen by a keylogging Trojan? How will you know that a criminal hacker has access to your computer? How can you feel confident in your transactions?
Dave Marcus from McAfee Labs says, “Most instances of banking fraud are not due to the bank’s technology being compromised, but to people unwittingly giving out their personal banking information to criminals via phishing scams and copycat sites, or their computers being infected with malware.”
With that in mind, McAfee released an online guide for Safe Virtual Banking to help users of all technical levels get the tips they need to use virtual banking with confidence. According to the guide, McAfee discovered three main personality types when it comes to online banking. They are as follows:
Over the next few weeks, I plan to write a post and offer tips for each of these “personalities”. I want you to learn what you need to do to make your virtual banking a safer experience. I would love for you to share the guide and the tips I offer with your loved ones. Everyone can use a little reminder every now and again, right?
I also will write a post about mobile banking, since banking from your phone is a whole new frontier and requires slightly different tips to keep your finances safe. Those commercials I see where you can just photograph the check and it gets deposited?!? Amazing technology! But how do you use that and still protect your phone and bank account from theft?
Stay tuned for some great tips to come! If you can’t wait for complete details on each of the online banking personality types and accompanying graphics, please visit the McAfee blog: http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/guide-to-online-banking-safety
I am hoping that you will feel free to comment and ask questions on this series. Stay safe out there!
Tracy
@McAfeeCyberMom on Twitter
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Tags: Cyber Security Mom, mobile banking, online banking, online banking safely, password security