How to Safeguard Our Personal and Financial Data?

Finally, PTPTN loan released...... This time I decided to pay the student bill through Public Bank E-banking service. The next day after class, I entered the computer lab, at the moment when I was accsessing Public Bank website to make online payment, my friend stopped me... He advised me to make such online transaction by using own's laptop as to keep my personal data from being tracked and stole by unknown party. I puzzled and thought to myself, "How come I have never thought of this issue?" Readers, have you ever thought about that?

In this E-century, information technology has become more and more advanced. It is very important for us to focus our attention on safeguard measures when using online transaction, who knows somebody who has evil motive is keeping an eye on your credit card information and might steal it?

There are several ways to safeguard online transactions:

1. Keep your firewall or any security software up-to-date to ensure no information to be seen by unauthorized people as we usually would not be able to know how safe the transaction processing is.
   
   
2. If you were to use credit card for online transaction, use the one which has the lowest limit, so that even if unfortunately, the credit card is being stolen, we loss only a small amount.
   


3. Try not to keep all your log in information in the computer, instead record the information in daily notebook or paper and keep it in a secret place.
   


4. When signing up for the online transaction account, create a longer or more complex password (e.g.: a password with both alphebets and numbers) to strengthen your data security.


5. Be cautious when your come to the payment stage, calculate the amount that you need to pay beforre you click on the "ok" button for payment as the bad motive person would catch your uncautiousness and change the figure of amount you need to pay. For instance, suppose you have to pay only RM 699.00, someone who has bad intention may change it to RM 969.00.




6. Make sure that you send your payment information to a right and secure site. Legitimite website will always come with "https' instead of "http". Besides, there will be a padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
   
7. At the top of the webpages, most of the time there will be a "pop up" bar requesting you to send some personal information through email. Bear in mind that not to trust such instruction.



8. Choose to conduct online transaction with those websites or company that have good reputation and have strong security policy to ensure customers' personal information are confidential.
   

In my personal point of view, Public Bank is practicing a good online security policy whereby all information of customers are encrypted using the 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) from MSC TrustGate Certificate Authority. In addition, the registration procedures of first time users are thorough. Users have to register e-banking service via Public Bank's Automated Teller Machine(ATM), which is to get a pin number as the first time log in password. The password can be changed when logging in to the website later on. PBeBank.com Authentication Code (PAC) will be sent through sms whenever payment were to be made. PAC is a 6 digits authentication code acts as additional security on our transactions and update our personal information.

In 25 June 2008, Kotak Security Limited also introduced similar "security key" to safeguard online transaction.

Related Links:

1. http://www.prlog.org/10083168-kotak-securities-introduces-security-key-to-safeguard-online-transactions.html
2. http://www.ehow.com/how_4880323_keep-online-transactions-safe.html
3. http://www.pbebank.com/en/en_content/info/security.html
4. http://www.pbebank.com/en/en_content/info/pac.html