How should you keep your Bank Account, Credit Cards and Other financial Information secure?

There has been an increase in the prevalence of cyber crimes. There are so many people who have become and are still becoming easy targets of identity thefts. Also the concern for keeping personal and financial information secure has risen in magnitude. Most targets have no clue how their financial data was accessed and their accounts compromised but the most common being the use of debit card for online shopping.

Then there is the problem of phishing that is on a tremendous rise. Phishing involves emails that claim to be from a trusted financial company but on accessing are re routed to bogus sites that ask for account numbers and passwords.

There are few things that can be done as safety measures to protect oneself from becoming targets. These include:

1.      Installing PC monitoring software. This will enable you to determine unauthorized access to your computer. If something of this nature happens, you can take immediate action to protect personal and financial data.

2.      Keep on monitoring your accounts and statements. Keep checking for any payments that you feel weren’t made by you. Don’t assume you may have made them. Check and monitor. This unauthorized payment could be done by some thief snooping to see if this payment goes unnoticed for his future bigger fraud.

3.      Do not give out your financial details over the phone unless it’s a trusted source.

4.      Whenever doing shopping make sure you take your credit card receipts and not toss them away in dustbins. Do the same with your ATM receipts.

5.      Keep changing your passwords as it reduces your vulnerability. Also for keep a variation in your passwords and Id’s in different institutions.

6.      Never use public computers or a public Wi-Fi zone to make financial transactions. A hacker in the premises can utilize this opportunity for his benefit.

7.      Keep your virus protection software up to date and run frequent scans to know for malwares.

8.      Never open and download spam emails. Even if a trusted finance company is asking for financial details try and call the number given on the financial statements and resolve the matter. Or better still make a visit in person if possible.

9.      Use credit cards for shopping online. Even though debit cards also offer you the same cover as the credit cards but it takes time for money to be routed to your account.

10.  Pop ups can be used by hackers to install software on your computer. Install pop up blocking software.

11.  Keep your operating system up to date to keep on checking and updating for security patches.

12.  Keep photocopies of your credit cards, this could come in handy in case of theft.

13.  Also memorize your ATM pin. Don’t write it down anywhere. Also while entering your pin do it in a discrete manner.