Although Online Banking Services are very convenient, there are certain risk factors involved. Realizing what the risks associated with online banking are can help a person avoid them. Fortunately, it’s not to hard to bank online safely. Using two-factor authentication is one of the safest ways to bank online. With two-factor authentication, a code is generated each time an individual tries to access his/her account. This code can be sent to a verified email account or phone number. The authentication code is only valid for a limited amount of time. With two-factor authentication, a person also knows when someone else is trying to access the account.
It’s also up to customers to do their part to ensure Online Banking Services at Pearl Hawaii Federal Credit Union or any financial institution are safe. Creating an extremely strong password is part of this process. The password should use a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters. There should also be special characters and a few numbers in the password. Choosing something that isn’t even close to being in the dictionary is advised. Some hackers use brute-force techniques that use dictionaries to guess a password, so using letters, numbers, and characters in a random order is best.
Online banking customers also have to make sure their computers are secure and updated. Securing the computer means that it should automatically lock it’s screen after a few minutes of being inactive. This means that even if the computer is accidentally left unattended it may still be secure. However, it’s best to always lock the screen manually when leaving a computer for any reason. Updates are important because they fix vulnerabilities in operating systems. Windows 10 automatically updates and the feature can’t be turned off, but previous versions of the operating system allowed users to turn of automatic updates. Contrary to popular belief, Apple computers are vulnerable to malware and also need updates and anti-virus software.
A surefire way to avoid any problems is to have a cheap computer to use exclusively for all online bill paying and online banking. A cheap netbook can be purchased for under $200. It can last years and virtually guarantees that the computer won’t be vulnerable because of any websites visited for entertainment, opening the wrong emails, and other typical ways computers are hacked.
