Security concerns make 1 in 3 users avoid online banking
According to a survey by Avira, 1 in 3 people don’t use online banking because they’re concerned with safety and almost 50 percent are at least wary of online banking. That leaves just 20 percent of those surveyed with a confident approach to accessing financial accounts using the Internet.
Avira polled its 100 million customers worldwide, and a random sampling of users responded to the online survey which asked if they trust online banking or if they have concerns about security while accessing information online.
There were 3,127 responses which broke down in the following manner:
“It’s a good sign to learn that almost half of the people we polled at least had some concerns with banking online and eye opening that almost one out of three just didn’t practice online banking in any form whatsoever,” said Sorin Mustaca, data security expert of Avira.
“This proves that financial institutions have a long way to go before they persuade most of their customers to trust doing business online. In addition, the software security industry has to do more in this area to ensure safety online. We must give to all Internet users the freedom to do whatever they want to do without fear,” he added.
Mustaca says that online freedom should come through education and by using reliable security products. He offers some basic tips to stay safe while online:
- Always take great care when opening attachments in emails
- Do not visit sites which you don’t know or have a bad reputation
- Don’t install programs coming from unknown sources
- Never, ever give your financial details as a response to any email
- Be sure to install an antivirus solution and make sure it is updated regularly
- Make sure your computer’s operating system is regularly updated.
Perhaps new products such as Gemalto’s credit card with one-time password security capabilities could make more users trust to bank online.