It would seem that the computer is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives each and every day. There's good reason for that perception... it's true. One specific area that is becoming incredibly popular is online banking. Customers love it because it is very convenient and a great time saver. The banks love it because it automates a great many functions for them and cuts down on their overhead.



The number one concern of anyone that deals with online banking should be security. Putting your personal information over the Internet can be risky, there is no denying that. Fraud and identity theft have become huge problems in the modern age. There are any number of hackers and thieves out there in cyberspace just waiting to prey on innocent people.

Fortunately for us, the financial institutions of the world are very aware of this problem and are working aggressively to combat it. There was a time when a bank's chief security concern was whether they would be robbed or not. I think we've all seen the old movies about Bonnie & Clyde, John Dillinger and the like... to say nothing of the daring train robberies of the wild west. Now banks face a new and much deadlier challenge than ever before, and instead of wearing a mask and using a gun, the bad guys are now invisible and use keyboards.

Identity theft has now become so prevalent that thieves are rifling through garbage to attain any information that they can use to steal from their unsuspecting victims. With this said, there are some simple, common sense approaches that will go along way to securing personal bank information.

1. Do not share your passwords with anyone.

2. Keep important documents locked in a safe or safety deposit box.

3. Shred documents that you no longer need.

4. If you bank online, make sure your bank is using a secure, encrypted site (It's OK to ask what security features they employ).

I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

5. When using an ATM make sure no one can see the codes you enter.

These are a just a few of the things that can be done to keep banking information secure and to avoid possible crimes against you. While many of these suggestions seem to be glaringly obvious, all to many times they are taken for granted or just plain ignored. It is at these times when the criminals are at their best. Individuals that grow careless and complacent are exactly what criminals look for. Don't be counted as one of the careless!

From the analysis of Trend Micro, a company that specializes in computer security, you can clearly see that the year 2004 was a record year for the distribution of computerized viruses: 30 attacks, 28 of which were medium risk and two high risk. Three worms held the first position: Bagle, Mydoom and Netsky, which, together with their variants, were the cause of 25 of the registered attacks.

Email was the preferred channel of diffusion used by the hackers, but some choose other channels to illegally to create more serious damage. The indiscriminate sending of email messages and/or newsletters (Spam), without the consent of the receiver, is illegal. In some countries the authorities established that: to send email published without the consent of the receiver is illegal. If this activity is done systematically for profit, you also violate a criminal norm and could be reported to the judicial authorities.

There are several sanctions, and in the worst cases, even imprisonment. The considerable damage that these activities have done to companies and people has been enormous. Moreover, another tragedy called Phishing (the name given to the system that captures information like passwords or other personal information) is used by many hackers that pretend to be reliable people seeking information. These hackers send false emails containing eBay, Pay Pal graphics and official logos and also offer Banking and Credit Card services. They ask for personal data, often your passwords or Credit Card numbers, which ends up in the data bank of the hacker who had sent the false email. The experts define this illegal practice as a form of "Social Engineering".

Europe and the United States have promoted two very distinct initiatives that will start at the same time. The intention is to defeat that virtual monster that has caused damage amounting to millions of dollars.

"Safer Internet Plus" is the project carried forward in Europe. The main target of the project is to beat Spam. The American project on the other hand is called "Digital PhishNet" and is based on the collaboration of several institutions, such as the FBI and private companies. The target is to identify and to bring to justice those people responsible for online fraud.

Hopefully, as we gain a better understanding of the overall threat posed by internet hackers and other illegal user of the internet, we will be better able to counter the attack. Only time will tell!

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.