If you spend most of the time in front of the computer, you might be the next victim of cybercriminals. One day, you might find your computer files encrypted by ransomware. You might also log into your banking account to see a big zero balance. Don’t get us wrong here, but these events can and do happen. Although you can’t eliminate such threats, you can mount your defense against common security & privacy problems. Also Read: 20 Best Android Security Apps You Must Have
List of 10 Best Online Safety Tips to Keep your Account and Money Secure
If you want to be more secure online, you should make your device, online identity, and activities as secure as possible. Hence, we have listed some of the best online safety tips to keep your account and money secure in this guide.
- Passwords As we all know, most of us just set a password on our Internet banking accounts and forget about it. However, this is one of the worst mistakes we can make. When setting a password, choose a password that is hard to crack. The password should be a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. A crucial part of what makes your password difficult to crack is the combination you used. If you cannot remember the password, you can note it down on a paper or note-taking app.
2. Two-Factor Authentication
Two-FactAuthenticationion is a security feature that helps protect your online accounts. Nowadays, the two-factor authentication feature is available on every social networking and instant messaging app. If you set up two-factAuthenticationion, you will receive an SMS containing a login code to access your banking accounts. Without confirming the secret code, nobody can access your account. So, make sure to enable the two-factAuthenticationion on your banking account as well. This is a small step, but it contributes a lot to improve the security level.
3. PC check
If others use your PC, you need to check your PC for keyloggers, viruses, and malware. If you feel that your PC has malicious programs, it’s best to avoid accessing banking or social networking accounts. It would help if you used a proper and reliable antimalware tool like Malwarebytes to clean out malicious files from your computer.
4. Smartphone Check
If you use your smartphone to access shopping websites, social networking accounts, bank accounts, etc., you need to ensure that your smartphone is free from viruses/malware. You can use any mobile antivirus app to scan your smartphone for viruses/malware. Also, avoid entering sensitive details when your phone is connected to public wifi.
5. Beware of Fake Emails and calls
If you are an active Gmail user, you might have received many emails asking to enter your login credentials. Unfortunately, such emails were usually a result of a scam campaign. When scammers call users, they often ask for their credit or debit card details. So never provide your bank account details via email links or telephone calls. If possible, use a phone number lookup app like TrueCaller to detect scam/spam calls beforehand. Bank executives will never ask for your credit or debit card information by email or phone.
6. Website Encryption of Bank
When you make a purchase online, you need to provide debit/credit or bank account details. Unfortunately, this is what exactly cybercriminals are most eager to get their hands on. So, only enter this information to sites that provide secure & encrypted connections. The green padlock sign at the start of the address bar of your browser signifies the encrypted website.
7. Track Account
Always keep track of the amount you spend online. This will not only help you organize your funds but also help you detect fraudulent transactions. Make sure to turn on the SMS Notification for banking transactions and regularly check your bank statements.
8. Try using Bank App
If you want to have a surefire way to remain protected during any banking transactions, try to use the Bank application on your mobile devices. You could easily find up mobile apps for your bank and any of the OS platforms.
9. Don’t Use Public wifi
Well, when it comes to transferring the balance and accessing your bank account, you should never trust a public wifi network. Guess what? Publick wifi Network makes things easier for hackers to steal information. Even if you need to use Public wifi, make sure to use a good VPN service on both computer and smartphone. The VPN apps encrypt the connection and keep the trackers out.
10. Enable Notifications
Well, almost every banks offer a custom notification option. Of course, they might charge you for that, but these notifications help to know every activity of your account. Banking notification shows information regarding various activities like withdrawals, deposits, account changes, and more. If you find anything suspicious, you need to call the bank employee to block your account temporarily.
11. Make use of Incognito Mode
If you are in a hurry and need to access your bank account, you need to use the Incognito or Private Browser window. Unfortunately, the incognito mode doesn’t save any browsing histories, and it doesn’t even save cookies or cache. This method will ensure that no one takes advantage of your browsing session to hack your account. So, these are the best tips to keep your account and money secure. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts related to this, let us know in the comment box below.
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