How to protect yourself online

STAY SAFE ONLINE

Exercise caution when using computers in public places

As you cannot be certain about the security of a computer in a public place such as a library or Internet café, you should be careful if you have to use such a machine. If you’ve any reason to be suspicious about a public computer you should not use it to access services such as Internet banking.

You should never change your security details such as your password on a publicly accessible computer (e.g. in an Internet café). If you do use a public computer to access Internet banking you should look out for anyone who could be watching you.

For more advice and a step by step guide to staying safe online visit www.banksafeonline.org.uk a website launched by APACS, the UK payment association working on behalf of the banking industry.

Log out properly when you've finished with a secure site

logged in to a secure session such as when you’re using Internet banking. Ensure you log out properly when you’ve finished banking online or using another secure site.

Check the security of e-Commerce sites.

Be aware that spoof (fake or fraudulent) sites do exist. Never go to the Birmingham Midshires website via a link in an e-mail, only ever visit the Birmingham Midshires website by typing the address www.askbm.co.uk into your browser.

Secure website addresses usually start with the letters https: and display a padlock icon in the bottom section of your Internet browser. While these are good indicators that you are visiting a genuine site there have been cases where criminals have been able to recreate these features on their spoof sites.

As a result, it can be risky to rely entirely on the padlock icon. If you double click the icon a box will appear which contains details of the site owners and helps you to establish whether it is genuine.

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Bank Safe Online

For more advice and a step by step guide to staying safe online visit www.banksafeonline.org.uk a website launched by APACS the UK payment association working on behalf of the banking industry.

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