Do you remember the long queues in banks to deposit, withdraw and transfer the money and the most annoying thing, the bank’s lunch breaks? Well, we are lucky that we have the option of internet banking and we can make all the money transaction while sitting in an office or at home.

Internet banking is not a new term for us, in fact, after demonetization it has become very common but still many people don’t prefer internet banking. A few people think that net banking is not secure and many others are not aware of its procedures and benefits.

In this article, we will tell you all about the secure internet banking. So here we go.

What is online banking?

Online banking also known as internet banking is a facility to manage your bank account from your computer or mobile.  Online banking usually is a free service from the banks. It’s quick and easy to understand for the end user.

Why is online banking better?

Online banking or internet banking saves our biggest asset ‘time’. That’s the main reason that many people prefer it. Online banking offers the services of money transaction (transferring the money from your account to other’s account), opening fixed deposits, recurring deposits, making bill payments and much more. You can even apply for loans through online banking and check the history of your account.

How does it work?

Almost every bank offers the internet banking facility. At the time of account opening, users need to mention that they want to have online banking facility. If it’s an old bank account then the bank account holder can ask for the activation of internet banking by giving an application to the bank.

After the activation of your internet banking facility, you will get a username and password from the bank. You can log in on the bank’s online portal with the help of this username and password. This login page of the bank will look like this.

This page belongs to HDFC bank. Here the bank account holder needs to mention his/ her user id on the highlighted box. Then your password will be asked after filling the password,  you will get the online access of your account.

The top menu of the web-page has all the main tabs.

To access the facility you need to just click on its tab. On the left-hand side, you will see the below mentioned menu.

For any transaction, to open a fixed account or for RD you will have to click on the first option, for any inquiry or for the summary of your account click on the second one and for account statement, demand draft or checkbook etc you need to click on the third option.

This page is from HDFC bank for different banks the look of the page may differ but the options perform almost the same tasks.

Is online banking safe?

It is the most asked question. Many people have doubt about the safety of online banking or internet banking. The doubt of people is genuine too because many cases of online forgery have happened. A recent survey conducted by Telenor has revealed that Indians are losing more money to online fraudsters than their Asian counterparts. So you need to be extra smart while using internet banking.

In the many of the cases of online frauds most of the times it was the user’s mistake that helped the online scammer.  All the banks develop their website of internet banking with all the precautions to keep the users’ data private and secure. But the online banking users need to follow some instructions to keep their account safe.

How to do internet banking securely?

In most of the cases of internet banking frauds, user’s carelessness is highlighted. But if the internet banking user is smart then his/her account will be safe and the user will be able to do internet banking securely. Here are a few tips for secure internet banking.

Keep your information private: online fraudsters call the bank account holders and pretend that they are calling from the bank. They ask about the account related information from the user and transfer the entire user’s balance to their accounts. So, to have your account safe do not share the details of your account, account number, internet banking username, password and your card details to anyone. Bank already has your data so no bank employee will ask for it for official purpose.

If you receive any such call then inform your bank immediately.

A strong password: It is always suggested to the users by the banks to have a strong password for your internet banking. The password of your internet banking should be the combination of alphabets, numbers and special signs.  It is also recommended by the banks to keep changing your password.

While accessing internet banking from your mobile do not save your password for auto-filling. If you have written your internet banking in some notepad than make sure that it remains confidential for you.  For money transactions bank offers extra security by asking for another password. Use this option from the bank and use a complicated password for money transactions.

Do not click the link:  Whenever you want to access your bank account for internet banking type the URL of bank page on the address bar. Do not click on any link to access your bank account. This links may pass the information of your password or user id to the hackers. When you type the website of your bank, always check if ‘https://’ is mentioned at the beginning of the address. Here ‘s’ is the symbol of secure connection.

Subscribe mobile notification: The mobile subscription of your account keeps you updated about the balance of your account. It notifies you whenever any transaction occurs in your account. The best part of the subscription of mobile notification is that whenever a wrong password is entered in your account on internet banking it sends an SMS to you so you could be alerted.

Antivirus software:  The genuine antivirus software not only keeps the software of your devices updated but it also protects your device from the attack of malware or viruses. Many unwanted emails contain spyware. This spyware can steal your information. Antivirus keeps your sensitive information secure.

And if you use your mobile phone for mobile banking or internet banking then you need to keep the Operating System of your phone updated and do not root your phone. Rooting can breach the security of mobile phone so don’t do it.

The Bottom Line

If you will follow all the above mentioned precautions then you can enjoy the secure internet banking. If by following few instructions you can save your bank account then why don’t you try it?

Internet banking is a safe and secure way of banking only if you do it carefully. So don’t waste your time and instead of running to the bank. Make your fingers to run on the keyboard.

If you need any further assistance on internet banking, please contact your bank. Want us to cover a topics for you, please mention it in the comment box. We would love to help you.