The Internet has made life easier for us on many fronts and online banking is one of them. You do not need to visit a bank anymore to withdraw or deposit money. All you need to have is an Internet connection to access your bank account and you can perform all regular transactions through Internet banking.
However, despite the long list of benefits it provides, Internet banking or ebanking, has its own share of risks. Often people have doubts about whether it is safe and secure to bank online. It certainly is safe to bank online, provided you keep your computer secure and follow certain safeguards.
How to make net banking safe and secure?
The website of the US government's Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) says that the Internet offers the potential for safe, convenient, new ways to shop for financial services and conduct banking business, any day, any time. But, safe online banking requires you make the right decisions for selecting an e-banking service to avoid costly surprises or even scams, says the FDIC.
The first and foremost requirement for secure ebanking is availing online or net banking services from a traditional or online bank that is authorized and has all regulatory approvals to conduct Internet banking. You need to make sure that you log on to the genuine website of the bank and do not fall prey to decoy or fraudulent websites.
Another must for a safe online banking experience is to keep your computer free of viruses. Most of the banks already have safeguards in place to keep their websites clean of virus and Trojan attacks, but reviewing the security certificates of these websites should be a regular habit. You can know whether the website is secure or not by the appearance of a padlock icon, generally near the bottom right corner of your computer screen. If the padlock is closed, the website is secure. Do not proceed if the padlock is open!
Not to be forgotten is to keep on changing your passwords and PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) frequently. The passwords should not be too simple. Also, never share your passwords and PINs with anyone, even if someone claims to be a representative of your bank.
Overall, all the recognized banks generally have a robust system in place for making Internet banking secure. Therefore, you can go ahead and log on for a safe and secure Internet banking experience.
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