Here is another great article with tips on safe online banking practices. It comes from the Associated Press and is written
by Jordan Robertson
I hear so much about hackers attacking Web sites and stealing people's
personal information. Is it safe to bank online?
One of the scariest things about banking online is that you're forced to enter personal information, such as account numbers,
that you'd never type anywhere else on the Internet. You're also viewing your most sensitive financial information, and the
fear is if you can see it, a skillful hacker might as well.
Getting over that hurdle takes faith in the security of your computer and the banking Web site, but the most paranoid people in
the world — computer security specialists — say it's fine to bank online. As long as you guard against the person
who is likely your biggest problem: yourself.
Hackers do target banking sites, but it's a hard job. They prefer a much easier way to fool people into coughing up their
personal information: fraud spam. Links in those messages direct you to sites that look and feel like real banking sites, but
if you enter your account details into them, the hackers take them. If you're banking online, your top priority should be
avoid these "phishing" e-mails. Avoiding them is simple: don't click on links in e-mails sent to you purporting to be from
your bank. Open up a separate window in your browser and type in the banking Web site address on your own.
