Are Your Bank Accounts Safe Against Cybercriminals?
Sep 08, 2021
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Bank accounts are important to all of us. Not only do they keep our money safe, but they also contain a huge amount of our personal information. We all know that we should never share our bank login credentials with anyone.
However, our modern society is riddled with scammers and cybercriminals who can trick us into giving out our personal information. Moreover, they also develop their own ways to steal our login credentials. Criminals have different ways to get access to your bank accounts.
This is why it is so important that we keep our devices secure. There are several cybersecurity measures you need to have in place to protect your personal information. Keeping your devices cyber secure will help you to protect your bank accounts.
How Can Cyber Criminals Gain Access to Your Bank Accounts?
Cybercriminals are crafty, and they are always finding new ways to infiltrate our devices and gain access to our information. They have numerous tactics they can use to steal your login details. You might not even know that they have access to your accounts.
Many cybercriminals will be using phishing to steal your login details. They do this by creating fake websites. For example, they might create a fake website that looks exactly like the home page of your banking website.
Once you type in your login details, the cybercriminal will be able to see everything that you have typed in or clicked on. This will give them instant access to your login information, and you might not even know it.
Hackers can also create fake pop up ads. When these ads are displayed, you might be tempted to click on them, or even to close them. However, once you do, malicious software will be installed on your device. In most cases, it is also installed in the background so you will never see it.
The software can range from spyware to ransomware and viruses. Some of these will allow the hacker to see what is happening on your device, and others will lock you out of your accounts, and the hacker will demand a fee for your account to be released.
What Can Cyber Criminals do With Your Banking Details?
Once a cybercriminal has stolen your login credentials they have several options. The first is of course to access your account and transfer your money or commit fraud. This is the most common crime that will be committed.
However, they can also change your login details, leaving you locked out of your account. They will then hold your accounts for ransom, and demand that you pay a fee before they release the information to you.
Many cybercriminals also tend to sell banking details on the dark web to other criminals. This kind of information can be sold for a lot of money. Other criminals will then use your login details to commit crimes.
How to Keep Your Devices Safe From Cyber Attacks
There are several steps you can take to keep your bank account secure. It is important to put these measures in place before it is too late. Once a cybercriminal has gained access to your accounts, there is not much you can do about it.
The first step is to turn on your login notifications. This will allow you to see whenever someone has logged into your account. If you receive a notification of login and it wasn’t you, it’s important to report it to your bank as soon as possible.
You should also use strong and unique passwords. Strong passwords are important because it makes them more difficult for the hacker to crack. They should not relate to any of your personal information that can easily be found such as your name or date of birth.
Unique passwords mean that each of your accounts has a different password. This is to prevent criminals from easily gaining access to all of your accounts at once. If one of your accounts has been breached, the others will remain safe.
You can also use two-factor authentication. This is a relatively new feature, however, it is essential to keeping your accounts safe. This feature requires you to use your phone to authorize a login or payment before it proceeds.
You also need to make use of antivirus software. This will detect any malicious software that is downloaded onto your device. It will help to prevent cybercriminals from installing viruses, spyware or ransomware on your devices.
You must always keep your antivirus software up to date. Software updates are sent out to fix flaws that may have been found in the system. It also adds new defences to the software that prevent hackers from bypassing it.
Finally, it is critical that you use VPN software. VPN software will encrypt your internet traffic. This means that no one will be able to see what you are doing on your devices. This is especially important if you are using an unsecured public WiFi hotspot.