Nine tips for using mobile banking and not supplant your identity

Security experts share small 'hacks' to control our personal finances from the 'smartphone' safely and protect our savings.

Technology is evolving at a frenetic pace. And with it the crime.

In the past decade was fashionable malicious software that came over your phone and sent text messages to premium services to suck the money. Now, a fake app can steal our banking credentials and become our worst nightmare.

"What we have in our hands is no longer a phone to use as we had before, now is a computer," says Daniel Creus, malware analyst company cybersecurity Kaspersky Lab, explains that our mobile devices are also on the point focus. "People come to your online banking ... So what do banking Trojans is trying to steal the passwords of users".

In recent months, Kaspersky has detected 291,800 new malicious programs for mobile and 1,000,000 malware installation packages. One is the worm Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.OpFake.cc, whose latest version is able to attack more than a hundred financial institutions.

But quiet. Teknautas brings you nine tips from professionals so you can operate your bank account from your phone minimizing risk.

1. Beware of apps downloads (especially if you use Android)

The main source of malware and Trojans in our mobile banking applications are not sure origins, according to experts consulted by this means.

For example, we can find links to download malicious applications in emails or on social networks. "As a general line, we must be wary of all web content that we get not own paths, ie, a tweet, email, a link on a social network, etc.," says the hacker Pablo Gonzalez, who oversees projects Eleven Paths product development, cyber security arm of Telefonica.

But malicious apps are also available in the markets or digital app stores, including at official as Google Play. Cyber criminals try to sneak their Trojans in these markets and users download them thinking they are legitimate applications. Therefore, it is vital to be sure of the origin of an application before bajárnosla. We ensure fieble coming from a developer. The opinions of others can also help us to discern.

It is noted that Android is a more common and open source operating system, making it a recurring target. In contrast, Apple's App Store is a closed market, making it more difficult for an illegitimate app able to hijack our password and user strain. Still, it always pays to be alert.

2. Discard the jailbreak if you are not very technologically

The jail breaking can be a great tool for getting the most out of your mobile device. But if you do not know what it is, it's probably because you do not want to tinker with it.

Before marketing, Apple examines the applications to ensure they meet their development requirements. Jail breaking is to break this restriction to access more applications outside the App Store, and other extensions.

But this practice is not recommended for those not familiar with computing and cyber security, and you can put your phone at risk, exposing still more threats.

3. Use the official application from your bank

One way to make sure you really connect to your bank and your credentials are not going to stop the dark side is using its official application. They are prepared to establish a secure connection with the entity and may include features such as unique confirmation code for shopping, for example. In addition, by using a personal finance application to control various accounts instead of specific to each bank increase the risks of losing money in the event of identity theft. "I am more in favor of using a specific app bank because it gives us all a more controlled fashion," said Gonzalez, Eleven Paths.

One way to make sure we are downloading the correct application is visiting the website of our bank from mobile, as recommended by Marcos Gomez, deputy director of operations of the National Cyber Security Institute (INCIBE). If the entity has an app will skip a message asking if we want to download. The link will take you, for example, to the App Store on iOS case.

4. If you prefer a browser, search the acronym 'HTTPS'

We can also use the browser. It is preferable to write the web address and navigate directly rather than seeking the name of our bank in a service such as Google, as we could lead to a false website (the official url is usually in credit cards or coordinate) .

Furthermore, in the web address letters 'HTTPS' should appear. This indicates that the site uses a security protocol. And the green in the address bar and a padlock icon are indicative that the website is legitimate.

5. Install an antivirus or security program

As in the laptop or tower computers, phones can also use security software to protect and detect infections. The design companies like Avast and Kaspersky antivirus provide these services.On the other hand, publicly -a INCIBE entity offers a free application for Android, CONAN Mobile, which analyzes the state of security of our device, exposing potential vulnerabilities, as suspects applications permissions.

6. Very careful with public Wi-Fi networks (there are alternatives)

It seems obvious, but it is very important to keep this in mind: do not do banking operations when connected to a public network, especially if you have no password. It is a form of exposure to be stolen. The most secure networks are domestic. A good alternative to the Wi-Fi phone is the data, especially if we are away from home."If we have no choice, it is best to try to use the anómima navigation; second, never save forms, ie usernames and passwords; and, most importantly, ensure that the website to which you are connecting is the website of the bank, "Gomez, INCIBE explains. "And when we stop using the Wi-Fi, it is very important to clear the history."

7. Keep your software updated

Update your system; update your apps. Cybercrime does not rest in its efforts to modernize. We can not stay behind.You should also backup. Back to a previous state of your phone you can eradicate the problem. And there is always the reset.

8. Log out and program your phone to crash

The dangers do not exist only in cyberspace, but in the real world. Imagine you lose your phone, someone picks it up and find your open session on the website of your bank. We must also protect those assumptions. Therefore, it is desirable that program your phone to lock every so often, requiring a password to unlock it. And remember to log out when you finish using your mobile banking.Applications like Find My iPhone that can locate your device or erase your data remotely they are also useful.

9. Be wary and use your common sense !!

The above tips can be summarized in the following motto: suspicion and common sense. "We can not perform a single action to be sure," says Daniel Creus Kaspersky, which states that we must handle several factors to guarantee our safety net. "It consists of many things: system, network and caution."