Our mobile phones are always with us, allowing us to connect to our bank accounts online and complete transactions quickly. Banks invest significant resources to secure our online banking activities and protect the privacy and confidentiality of our data and information. They do this through encrypted websites and defined processes such as account authentication and automatic disconnection from bank accounts after users complete their online activities.
However, it’s equally important for users themselves to maintain careful security practices. Here are the actions you should take to ensure your online banking activity stays secure and private:
- Protect access to your mobile device with a PIN code that’s difficult to guess.
- Make sure never to leave your device unattended.
- Enable software that allows you to remotely delete data from your phone in case your device is lost or stolen.
- Carefully protect your user identification details when connecting to your bank account. Never share your access credentials with anyone, even if they identify themselves as a bank representative. Never send these access details via email or text message.
- Regularly update your banking app to the latest version on your device.
- Always log out of your banking app when you finish using it. Simply closing the app, closing the browser page, or turning off your device is not sufficient.
- Avoid using unsecured Wi-Fi networks when connecting to your bank account, even though communication with the bank is encrypted in any case.
- Exercise caution when downloading your banking app. Make sure to download the app from an authorized store and verify that it’s actually your desired bank’s app. There are thousands of fake banking applications, particularly on Android devices.
- Be wary of emails, text messages, or phone calls that supposedly come from your bank or the police claiming there’s a problem with your account and requesting your login details or other confidential information. Your bank or any other authentic organization will never request these details in this manner.
- Carefully examine text messages that appear to come from your bank. Sometimes these are scams, and the link in the message will lead to a website or app designed to steal personal information. In such cases, contact your bank as soon as possible.
Mobile banking offers incredible convenience, but your financial security is in your hands. Take a moment today to review these safety practices and implement any that you haven’t yet adopted. Your future self will thank you for the extra care you’re taking now to protect your financial wellbeing.
