In general, bankers who take advantage of online banking services should be aware that technology, the Internet, and networks are not totally safe. Online banking is a great and convenient service, however those who use it must always be alert and aware of their financial accounts and possible hacking attempts.

• Create a “strong” password with at least 8 characters that includes a combination of mixed case letters, numbers, and special characters.

• Users must change their password after the first log-in for online banking. Besides, keep changing your password at regular intervals. Needless to say, don't disclose your password to anyone, not even the banking staff.

• Avoid using the Internet banking facility from cyber cafes, libraries or from systems installed in public places. But in case it is an absolute necessity, you must clear the browser cache and delete the temporary files on the PC you've accessed the Internet from.

• Avoid using your date of birth, telephone number, address or name in your password. This practice makes your account more vulnerable to being hacked as your password can be easily guessed by just about anyone. Besides, do not leave your computer unattended while you are logged in to the bank site.

• Never let your computer remember your passwords, names, etc. Always disable the browser's option of storing user names and passwords.

• Make it a thumb rule not to send credit card or account details via e-mail to anybody, or in response to an e-mail.

• While shopping online, please wait for a second and check if the website is an established one and a reputed name in the online shopping domain. Always check if the shopping site has a well-established permanent address.

• Always log off after Internet banking once you are done with it. You need to log out from the website and do not shut off the window in order to log off from the session

• While making online payments, check whether the website is secure or not by looking for, i) a padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser, and ii) an 's' added to http in the URL. It should then be https.

• Whenever you make a transaction, immediately check your account and see if the right amount has been deducted or added to it. In case there is any misappropriation, inform the concerned bank immediately.

• Always reject any e-mail that asks you to follow a link to the website of your bank. You may end up revealing your personal details on a fake bank website, from which hackers steal information.

• You must not open multiple browsers/tabs during Internet banking. Also equip your system with an up-to-date anti-virus software and have a firewall installed in it.

• Do not keep documents and receipts related to your online translations. They usually carry confidential personal financial information. You had better destroy or shred such documents or receipts to stop them from falling into the wrong hands.

• You shouldn't give your e-mail address at websites without knowing how it will be used. Besides, do not share your personal information like date of birth, etc, on the Internet unnecessarily because it can be used by others to unlock or generate your account password.

• Whenever possible, use Bill Pay instead of checks to limit account number dissemination exposure and to obtain better electronic record keeping.

• Take advantage of and regularly view system alerts; examples include: Balance alerts, Transfer alerts, Password change alerts

• Do not use account numbers or other account or personal information when creating account nicknames or other titles.

• Never leave a computer unattended while using Personal Online Banking.

• Always type your bank’s address into your web browser – never follow a link in an email and then enter personal details.

• When making a payment, always double check that you have entered the correct account number and sort code.

• Be wary of any unexpected or suspicious looking ‘pop-up’ windows that appear during your online banking session.

• Stop and think about the process you normally go through to make a payment to someone – be suspicious if it differs from the last time you used it.

• Fraudsters sometimes try to trick people into making a real payment by claiming “it’s just a test”.

• Monitor your accounts regularly, paying attention to all transactions over the past few months.

Source: Culled From various materials on Online Banking Best Practices

Front page please

mod,front page pls!

Now Why is this important/life saving info not on the front page?

Mods Pls do the needful cos this can save people a whole world of pain