Rear Guard

Many cell phones have cameras that are quick, easy and very quiet. Ensure no one can clearly see the screen on a cell phone or a laptop when logging in to your bank account in a public venue. Someone casually raising a cell phone behind you and snapping a picture of your screen or finger patterns on a keyboard can compromise your user name and/or passwords.

Sit in a corner or by a wall to reduce the possibility of your activities and keystrokes being monitored or captured on camera. Avoid sitting or standing by a window when you access your online account.

Tilt your laptop screen downward and away from travel areas or other tables. A slight angle change can vastly discourage visibility even from a few feet away. Keep the laptop screen naturally darkened as much as you can or use a glare screen to further inhibit unauthorized viewing of your activity.

Never use voice commands or a voice recognition program in public on either a cell phone or a computer. Audio commands are easier for a hacker or thief to follow than onscreen commands half-hidden and distorted by an off-angle.

Ask your bank if they can assign a second active user name associated with the same account. Explain that you access your online bank account a lot in a public environment, and you want the additional security of a limited-rights user name. Some banks gladly add the second access avenue. When accessing your online bank publicly, use only that second access information set.

If you do step even a few feet away, engage the functions lock on your laptop. Your computer will still function, but if someone wants to use it again—to have keyboard and mouse commands work, the user password must be correctly entered. Screen saver locks are fine, but there’s often a delay, allowing continued or resumed activity before the deadline to avoid the lock-down. Using the functions lock via the Start button secures the computer from keyboard or mouse control immediately.

Standard Actions

Change your password and security questions and answers often. When choosing answers to security questions, never enter factually correct responses. Anyone can find background data on anyone else.

Do not save access ID codes and passwords on the accounts. It takes only a few moments of inattention for a thief or hacker to access your saved data.
Don’t use your computer’s main administrator user name and password when computing in public.

If possible, change your main user name—and secondary access information if applicable—and associated email address on a regular schedule. Change those passwords as well.

Ensure you keep your OS, firewalls and anti-virus programs current.

Back up your data often onto a separate hard drive, not just on an on-board program.

Summary

When computing on the go and especially banking in a mobile environment, caution and precautions cannot be stressed enough. Paranoia goes a long way toward saving your bank balance, your email and other personal data. The phrase ‘watch your back’ has literal application in mobile security. Be safe and be careful.

About the Author

JC Ryan is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which courses are available through an online college education program to help them reach their goals.

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One very simply type of the banking services out there is advice about where to put your money. When you open a new account at a new bank, you are going to talk to someone who works there. They are going to help you set up the accounts that you ask for, but they can do more than that in most cases.

This type of banking services can guide you to other kinds of accounts that have a higher rate of earning, or that may be more in line with what you want to do with your money. If that person cannot help you, they can refer you to someone else within the bank that can.

You can find banking services can greatly enhance what your money does in each account. You may get a decent interest rate on the money you have in your savings, but you can get accounts like the money market that give you more.

You have to have a certain amount in your account at all times, which can be as low as two hundred dollars and fifty dollars.

Getting below the minimum amount gives you fees, however, you are getting more money for your money. You can always ask if these banking services are not offered to you.

You may find benefit with many other banking services your local bank has to offer. You can simply ask what they have, or you can look your bank up online to find out more. These are sometimes free to customers, or come with a lower fee than if you were to go anywhere else.

Banks are interested in making money, and they need your money to do that. What that means is that they want to share in the profits with you for the use of your money. Banking services help you make more money, so they can make more money. Take advantage of the advice they have to offer.

Article by Chris B, you can find more about him on his profile.

Email

• Be alert for fraudulent (sometimes called “phishing“) emails. They may appear to come from a reputable business or a trusted friend but are actually designed to trick you into downloading a virus to your computer or directing you to a Web site to disclose sensitive or personal information.
• Immediately delete any email that requests your personal information; do not reply to it. Reputable businesses never request personal information (Social Security or credit card numbers, for example) via email.
• Never send your personal information via unsecured email. More Tips

This article contains some great tips and ideas in Online Banking Security and protecting your ID.

Your Online Security Authority
Bill Wardell

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Phishing (read: ‘fishing’) is a term used to refer to the method used by many internet scammers and fraudsters to illegally obtain personal information from you. This information will include your name, passwords, user IDs, PIN numbers, credit card numbers, bank account details, and other such data that they can use to either assume your identity or access your financial accounts to make unauthorized transactions. Bottom-line: it’s the fine art of stealing, internet-style. Here are 10 signs you should watch out for because they might be an indication that you are about to become a victim of phishing:

1. You receive an e-mail asking you to re-activate your account.

Most phishing attacks come in the form of e-mails that are supposedly sent to you by companies you regularly transact with, such as your bank or credit card companies or even a subscription service. The e-mail looks legit enough, telling you that the company would like you to re-activate your account or run the risk of getting it suspended or de-activated.

You are then provided with a link to a site where you will be asked to input your personal details. Once you do, it will only be a matter of hours or days before your identity gets stolen and your credit and banking accounts compromised.

2. You receive an e-mail notification informing you of your bank’s newly installed security system.

Another sign that you are about to become a victim of phishing is an e-mail asking you to use a company’s new customer security system. It is then followed by a series of instructions that will end with a request for your personal details and account information. Ironically, it’s supposed to be installed to make sure your account is protected.

3. You are sent an e-mail asking you to join an e-payment service of some kind.

Be wary of anything that has to do with your money. This e-mail will offer you an electronic payment system that is supposed to make your online transactions a breeze. Again, you will be asked to input your personal information.

4. You’ve won a contest or raffle draw and the company needs your credit card to make sure it’s really you.

You don’t know it, but you actually won a prize for a raffle draw you didn’t participate in. To claim it, you’ll need to provide your credit card information to verify your identity so they can send you the money. Before you fall for this common phishing trick, think about this: how can you win in a contest you didn’t join?

5. If you receive this message, do not reply to it, just delete it immediately!

6. You are being asked for your personal details and account information.

You know you are about to become a victim of phishing if someone wants your personal information badly. Unless it’s legitimate, do not readily provide your information because it could mean trouble for you.

7. You’re supposed to be under investigation for credit card fraud.

This is a phishing attack that scammers hope you will fall for by scaring you. Since you believe the police are involved, you will be pressured to provide all the information asked from you. Of course, this is a trick. If the police want you, know that they will find a way to your doorstep and don’t need to communicate with you through e-mail.

8. If you click on the link provided, you find a fake or copycat website.

Phishing websites are designed to look exactly like legitimate sites in order to mislead you. In fact, it can mimic your bank’s or credit card company’s sites. However, by simply checking its URL, you will find it is somewhat different. The fake site will also lack certain features and functions of the original site.

9. You receive an e-mail offering an anti-phishing service and yet, you are still being asked for your personal details.

For more credibility and ironic effect, some phishing scams even offer you a means with which to fight the threat but it’s actually the same trick. If you read the e-mail, you will still find instructions asking you for your account details and other personal information.

10. The website URL that appears on the link on the e-mail message does not match the one that appears on the bottom of the computer screen.

A telltale sign that you are about to become a victim of phishing is that the link to the site you’re supposed to go to is different from the one that appears if you roll your mouse over it. For example, the link that appears on the e-mail address may appear like this: www.yourbank.com/customeraccounts/activate. But if you check the text on the bottom portion of your computer screen, you’ll find something like this: www.badbiznezstratxyzzzz.com/form. If the link and the text don’t mix, be extremely cautious.

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