Internet banking: 10 things you should never do ?

Internet banking has become an important part of our lives. Internet banking makes online transactions really easy but at the same time, the crimes related to it too have risen. The cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways to breach security measures and steal money from internet banking users. Here are 10 must-dos to follow to ensure the safety of your internet banking account.

Never use internet banking in public Wi-Fi network

It is highly recommended to Never-ever access internet banking on any shared or unprotected Wi-Fi network. Even avoid making any payment using your debit or credit card from any public Wi-Fi network. These networks can easily be hacked, prone to other cyber attacks and one can steal all your credentials.

Change your password regularly

Change your password on a regular basis and always choose a strong password, something like a mix of both upper and lower case letters with numbers and one or two special characters. also, if you have several internet banking accounts, never use that same password for all of them.

Never sign-in to your net-banking account via an E-Mail Link

Never sign in to your internet banking account via any mailer. These email links are mostly malicious and could be phishing emails which aim to steal all your confidential information. Though look exactly like actual mailers and the websites they lead to, and they create an exact replica of your bank’s website.

Always look for 's' in the URL, https, and padlock during transaction

Always check the address bar, the URL of the website you log in to. Always check that it begins with 'https', 's'. It is the key security layer there which ensures that you are logging into a secure and encrypted website.Also, Check if there is Padlock Icon When You Make a Transaction.You will get to see the padlock icon either on the top or at the bottom right corner of the webpage. This closed lock or the padlock ensures that the website on which you are making the transactions is secure.

Never forget to log out once you are done

Always do log out of the device once you are done and the transaction is complete. This will save you to a huge extent from falling prey to the hacking attacks like session hijacking and cross-site scripting exploits. It is also advisable to clear off your browser history and cache once your transaction is complete.

Always use bank's official app for mobile banking

For mobile banking, it is highly advisable to use the bank’s official app only and no third-party app. Also, download the app only from the official app stores like the Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store. Never ever download an app from the ‘aggregator‘ apps, that may claim to show the consolidated account views across banks. Such type of apps are malware-ridden and end up stealing all your confidential information.

Always keep your PC's anti-virus or Anti-Malware updated

The basic and critical need is to always keep your PC's anti-virus updated. Though this surely not 100% protection, it still goes a long way in safeguarding all your online transactions.

Never use public or shared computers to access your account

Like the public Wi-Fi networks, you should strictly avoid using your internet banking on any public or shared computers. Most of these computers are unprotected and are malware ridden. Even there is an additional risk of the keyloggers which can save all your information that you type on the computer. Also, never leave your PC unattended while doing a transaction.

Avoid Transactions with Unknown Sources / non-validated source

Avoid transferring any funds to or sharing your account details with any unknown or unvalidated source. The cybercriminals generally tend to send emails to lure innocent people with attractive offers and ask them to transfer some money.