Mobile Banking is a very convenient way to handle banking services, but people have to know how to keep their information secure while doing their banking on the go. Financial institutions that offer mobile solutions will have mobile apps that people can use. It’s important that people who want to use these apps get them from the websites of financial institutions that are offering the apps. People who just look for the apps at mobile stores might accidentally download an app that is designed to steal sensitive information. Although the iTunes store is better at vetting apps than Android’s official store, it isn’t infallible.
There are more things to consider when attempting to make Mobile Banking with website or any other financial institution as safe as possible. Customers should never use SMS technology to send sensitive information. SMS technology is what most people know as text messaging. Unfortunately, this technology isn’t encrypted. Anyone can intercept the messages and read what is inside of them. People should also use lock codes for their phones, tablets, and laptops. Although it might be inconvenient entering a code every time a device has to be used, it’s not nearly as inconvenient as having to deal with financial loss if a bank account is accessed by a criminal.
People also need to be extremely careful when using public networks to access their bank’s services. Some criminals will make network clones and wait for people to try to access public networks. Once a person uses the clone that is believed to be the real network, a criminal can easily steal information if it isn’t encrypted. Using encrypted VPN services whenever a public network is accessed is one way to beat any attempts criminals can make to steal information. Even if a clone network is accessed, the information sent over it will be protected by end-to-end encryption.
Some people make the mistake of putting pirated content on the mobile devices they use for sensitive information. The problem is that there are times when pirated content contains malware that is designed to steal sensitive information. As such, people should avoid introducing pirated movies, songs, or software to the mobile devices they use for banking.