| Banking online can be a fantastic way to save you | | | | are done, always be sure to log off and even clear |
| time and even money. Most large banks now offer | | | | the Auto complete bar also, it can make it too easy |
| online banking or online account access, and for the | | | | for someone to log in and guess your password. |
| most daring: some banks are only available online. | | | | 3) A good password in very important, also, using |
| With the latest in web safety, these sites are heavily | | | | more than one password can be just as valuable. If a |
| encrypted and designed to be hack-proof. The | | | | hacker, worm, or virus is to get into your computer |
| largest cause of accounts being hacked into actually | | | | and find a password, they will try that same |
| falls upon the account holders. There are several | | | | password in all of your cached login areas. It also |
| simple steps that can be taken to avoid your | | | | helps drastically to use letters and numbers. Birthdays, |
| account, money, and personal information being put | | | | pet names, and nicknames also tend to be easiest to |
| at risk. Some may seem simple, but it is better to be | | | | guess. |
| safe! | | | | 4) Never trust any email sent to you that links |
| 1) Never give out your username or password. Your | | | | directly to your login page. This is the number one |
| bank will not ask you for your password or even | | | | trick for hackers to "cloak" or "phish" you out of |
| username. They already have it. They will not lose it, | | | | your own private information. Even though the site |
| and only a very select group of employees can even | | | | looks like the site you are familiar with, it may not be. |
| access it. If you think you need to address this issue, | | | | These thieves have become experts at copying the |
| call them at the number your normally call, do not | | | | look of real sites with their own copies designed to |
| take the phone number off an email or a website, | | | | extrapolate victim's bank numbers and more! |
| look in the phone book or just stop in at your local | | | | By following these steps, you can be confident that |
| branch. | | | | your identity and information is still yours and still |
| 2) If you access your accounts from more than one | | | | protected. There are thousands of people and |
| computer, be sure that computers used by others | | | | programs trying to steal your information, but you |
| have up-to-date antivirus software. You should also | | | | have plenty of tools, people and strategies on your |
| make sure that the machine is running an up to date | | | | side also! Go ahead save yourself some time and gas |
| browser that can support the standard 128-bit | | | | money! |
| encryption used by most secure websites. When you | | | | |