Secure your banking with this quick checklist

Personal finance has become more convenient than ever before. Want to check your balance on your trip overseas? No worries. Change your Orange Everyday or Orange One PIN on the fly? Easy. You can access everything from everywhere at the tap of a finger.

With so many possibilities for your banking, it’s important to make sure your account and information are protected from all angles.

Here’s a quick checklist with easy actions you can take to make sure that your banking details and money will be safe and sound. 

1. Protect your access codes and PINs

From your PIN to your ING access code, there are a few numbers associated with your banking you need to keep safe. Not to worry though – there are some simple steps you can take to make them more secure.

Check on your access codes and PINs to make sure they don’t have any of the following:

• Repeated numbers
• Ascending or descending numbers
• Numbers associated with your birth date
• Your name or similar word spelled out

If they do, it might be a good time to refresh them. You can change your Orange Everyday or Orange One card PIN easily in the ING app with just a few taps.

Make sure you don’t write down your access code or PIN. It’s never too late to start forming good PIN protection habits as well, like covering it if you’re entering it into an ATM or card receiver

2. Keep your identity in check

There are lots of ways that scammers can take advantage of people to receive personal information that they can use to hack your accounts.

Watch out for phishing emails, where scammers try to get your personal information with an email or text that seems like it is from a reliable source. Another tactic potential identity thieves use is to leave a voicemail asking you to call back immediately. Here’s what you can do to make sure you don’t give any information to these tactics.

• Treat any digital communication and voicemail asking for personal or financial information with caution. Never give your personal information over the phone if you’re unsure.
• If something seems suspicious and claims to be from an official organisation, screenshot the interaction and send it to the real organisation to confirm its validity.
• Check the email address for strange spellings or numbers. 

3. Check in on your statements

This one’s a quick one, and is part of good budget keeping as well – make sure you check your statements regularly. Unauthorised transactions can be small and go undetected, so keep an eye out for anything that seems suspicious.

4. Secure your devices

We can access our banking on a lot of different devices, so try to keep your devices updated with the right security tools.

Install anti-virus software on your computer and keep it updated. Start regularly scanning your computer for viruses.

Look into a personal firewall on your computer to create a security barrier between your computer and the internet. Have a look around to see which product works best for you.

Avoid using online banking on public computers, such as in uni libraries, internet cafes, etc.

If you need to brush up on any security tips, check out our FAQ page on keeping your account secure, and don’t forget that it’s easy to secure your ING Orange Everyday or Orange One card in our app.

If you’re feeling confident and security savvy, take our quiz to test your skills.