By investing online, you may be able to make some extra money in your spare time. However, if you aren’t careful, you may inadvertently allow others to steal your information and access your bank accounts. Fortunately, there are five helpful ways to keep your information secure when you are investing online.
1- Research Each Investment Platform Before You Enter Your Personal Information
Even if you are new to online investing, you may have already found that there are quite a few investment platforms to choose from. What many people don’t realize is that a lot of these platforms contain malicious links, and when they click on them, they can steal any of the personal information that you input. Be mindful of this, and research investment platforms before entering any of your personal information.
2- Have the Proper Device Security
One of the easiest ways to keep your information secure when investing online is by having the proper device security. Your computer should have up-to-date spyware detection and an antivirus program. Make sure you have this software configured so that you can receive automatic updates. If a malicious program is detected, it will alert you immediately.
3- Never Use Public Devices to Invest Online
While it may be tempting to invest online when you are on a computer at a library or university, you could be putting yourself at risk. You should never input any of your financial information on public devices. A lot of individuals install software on public computers to capture user’s pins and passwords so that they can steal their information.
4- Use Secure Wireless Connections
Many people don’t realize that just because they are on their own devices, it doesn’t mean that their information is secure. Public wireless networks, such as those found in hotels and airports, usually aren’t that secure. What this means is that a computer-savvy person someone can gain access to the user’s personal information. They can also go one step further and create a public network of their own in order to try to seek the information of others. If the wireless connection you are using seems to be slow or if it’s one that you have never seen before, then it’s probably a good idea to stay away from it.
5- Be Mindful About What You Are Downloading
It isn’t uncommon for a lot of websites to have all sorts of things that you can download on them. If you aren’t sure whether or not a website is legitimate, you shouldn’t download anything no matter how enticing it seems. The website meritalk.com has a lot of information about cybersecurity and being mindful of suspicious downloads.
As you can see, it can be all too easy for hackers to gain your personal information when you are investing online. By utilizing all of the tips mentioned above, you can keep your information safe from those with ill intentions when you are doing online investing. Data breaches happen to anyone so it’s important to be proactive and take preventative measures.
