We all work hard for our money, which allows us to pay the things we have to pay, treat the ones we love, and occasionally spend a little cash on what we want as well. That’s why it’s so frustrating when you find that your money has been taken by criminals, but unfortunately that’s a scenario that increasing numbers of people across America are facing on a daily basis. Technology is often at the heart of these thefts, but it also provides us with innovative new defences if we choose to use them, so here’s a modern guide to protecting your personal finances.
Keep Your Computer Up to Date
The days of the biggest threat to your money coming from house or street robbery is long gone; these days, the biggest danger to your finances comes from people you don’t know and will never see. Online crime is rising year upon year, and if you don’t update your computer’s defences on a regular basis then you’re leaving yourself vulnerable. Always download the latest updates for your computer’s anti-virus software and ensure that you have a high quality anti-malware solution in operation as well. Above all, never click on links in emails from senders that you don’t know and trust, as this can be a short cut to giving away your personal and financial details.
Protect Your Cards
Contactless payments are greatly on the increase, and that’s making life much more convenient as it means you don’t have to worry if you don’t have enough cash on you to make a small purchase. Unfortunately, there are also reports of contactless bank cards making it easier for thieves and fraudsters too, even if the card is in your pocket. They’re using advanced technology that can read your card when it’s in close proximity, and it doesn’t need to be in your hand. The devices used to commit these crimes are cheap and easy to obtain, but so are the defences. You can buy card protecting wallets that make it much harder for card reading machines to obtain your details, and they can be an inexpensive and yet invaluable purchase.
Consider Biometrics
Biometrics is going to change the world we live in, particularly when it comes to our finances, and their advantages are available right now if you know where to look. There are a number of biometric systems, but they use everything from heart scans to fingerprint and iris recognition. This latter biometric is being adopted by many forward-thinking banks, ensuring that only you can draw money from their cash machines. If you like the sound of the added security that this brings, then talk to your bank about their biometric systems, or about what plans they have to introduce them for their personal banking customers.
We live in a rapidly changing world, so it’s important that we keep up with its technological advances, as organized criminals certainly will. Protecting your computer from viruses, malware, and phishing scams should be your number one priority, but you may also want to consider signal blocking wallets for your contactless cards and using banks that are introducing biometric solutions.
