I have always been skeptical about online banking and buying things on the internet because I fear someone would hack my online accounts. Even though I have a good anti-virus and firewall on my computer, I’m still uneasy about releasing my personal information online.
Last week, I went to the bank and found out that my bank will now charge $3 for paper statements. How sad. But that is another story. I started talking to the teller about my concerns and she stated that I could try online banking and turn off my paper statements to avoid the $3 charge. We had this long conversation about the pros and cons of online banking, and one point she made was that paper statements weren’t safe online considering the fact that anyone could open my mail and get my account information. I agreed, but then I thought he or she couldn’t get my pin number or password like he or she could get through the internet. The truth of the matter is that we live in a world where it is becoming harder to protect our personal information. Everywhere we go, from school to the car lot to get a car loan, people will ask for personal information. I almost get upset when I’m at school and request a transcript and the people ask for my SSN. I opt out, and say I can give you my student ID number instead. I mean isn’t that the whole purpose of student Ids; to have a means of identifying a student instead of using their SSN? But I digress.
Like one of my coworkers said, "If they want to find out your personal information, they will." Since I’m cheap and will be forced into using online banking to read my bank statements, here are some ways we can protect ourselves online, whether we are buying something with our credits cards or banking online.
Things to consider when providing personal information online:
1. First thing first, make sure the website you are using has a URL that starts with https. Almost all websites will switch to https when you are providing personal information. For example, before putting in your card information to buy a book online, make sure that the website will change from the standard http to https, a more secure URL. If not, then think twice before buying anything off that website.
2. Make sure you are using a secure connection. Avoid public WIFI, where other people can intercept your information. Also, when using your home WIFI, make sure you have a password setup for your WIFI so it will be secure and others want have easy access to your WIFI and be able to track your online information.
3. Also, while using the internet at home, make sure you invest in an anti-virus and a firewall for internet protection. (Maybe, this should have been first thing first, but hey, it is my first blog. lol!)
4. Make sure you have a complex password. The more complex it is, the more unlikely it is for your password to be decoded. So choose a password wisely when using online banking or any other site.
5. When buying things online, don't use your debit card, which is tied to your bank account. Try using a credit card instead. Even better, you can use prepaid reloadable credit cards to purchase things online. The cards allow you to put only the amount of money you need to make an online purchase.
These are just a few suggestions to consider when using the internet to shop, to check your bank balance or to provide personal information. You can search the web for more tips on cyber protection. Just remember to think about how secure your computer is and the website that you are using before you release any sensitive information about yourself online.
So after reading my first blog, what do y’all think about bank apps? How many of y’all use them? Do you think they are safe?
Any who, let me know what y’all think about my first blog, about my page, etc….. Please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you …. I’m out, until next time. : )
