Ways to protect your banking and financial accounts from hackers, per the experts

 

The number one way to protect yourself is to make sure you’re really on your bank or financial institution’s website or app when you’re transacting business — and not an imposter site set up by hackers. “Check on your statement or the back of your bank card for the right website, bookmark that, and use that,” Benda says.

Only download verified apps from reputable websites, such as the App Store or Google Play. “Trojans are really pernicious,” says Benda. “People need to be careful about what apps they install and where they install them from.” A high incidence of fraudulent activity can occur through so-called ‘sideload’ apps, or those downloaded from unofficial sources, he adds.

Pay attention to privacy policies. Apps often say they need to access your photos, your microphone, and your camera. “Banking apps will need access to those things,” says Benda. “People should make sure they’re comfortable with that.”

Stick to trusted app stores when downloading apps. “Users shouldn’t download applications found on open forums,” Walsh says. “For banking applications, many banks feature links to the app stores from their websites to ensure you pick the correct one.”

Beware of phishing emails from fraudsters trying to get your personal information. Phishing emails will often have wrong numbers or bad links. Don’t respond to those. “Phishing awareness still holds true for mobile threat mitigation as many people use their mobile for email and text messages from their banks,” Walsh says.

Not sure what kind of app experience to expect from your bank? Check with your bank to see what features it contains and how to access it safely. “If you are confused at all, you should talk to your bank,” Walsh says.

In addition to downloading only verified apps from the App Store or Google Play app store, double-check reviews about apps before downloading them. “If a couple of consumers downloaded an app and had a malicious experience, they write about it in the review,” Kraus says.

Scrutinize the email address of the app company. “Does it look legitimate? If there are weird spellings or the email address looks off or if something doesn’t look right, avoid it,” he says.

Just as Norton or McAfee antivirus and malware tracking software help to protect your desktop computer, there are versions of mobile security software designed to protect your device and help you identify before you get tripped up by a hacker.

A hint that something may be amiss is if you run through data more quickly than usual or your battery is draining. “That can indicate something is silently running in the background,” says Kraus. “Be actively involved in monitoring data and battery usage.”

Avoid clicking on adware popups. “That’s a popular way that fraudsters love to embed malware,” Kraus says. “Don’t be overly zealous clicking into less than scrupulous apps and ads that are being pushed to you and popping up.”

Refrain from sharing too much of your personal information on social media. “Everyone wants to tell everyone in the world about every little personal thing in their life,” he says. “Be cognizant of not oversharing.” The more pieces of personal data a hacker has of yours, the greater likelihood they can use that information to find their way into your account.

Consider using a reputable Virtual Private Network, or VPN, on your computer to shield you from password pickpockets. But avoid any that are “free” as they may not protect you at all. “VPNs can be very effective,” says Kraus. “They’re not expensive, and not hard to set up at your home.”

Bottom line

“Hackers are constantly improving their game, and it is up to all of us to be vigilant,” says Korinchak of CyberExperts.com.