The banking world is increasing its commitment to the fight against cybercrime through technological safeguards, staff training initiatives and awareness campaigns. In 2018, Italian banks invested over 300 million euros to guarantee customers even safer and faster online "transactions".

Cyber ​​security, however, also passes through the collaboration of bank customers. For this reason, ABI promotes a guide on the responsible use of technology and payment instruments by customers.

The project, created by Bancaria Editrice with the contribution of Abi Lab and prestigious interlocutors such as State Police and CERTFin, illustrates the basic rules for concluding purchases on the web, carefully using credit / debit cards on the digital channels of banks with the access from pc, tablet and smartphone.

3 Useful tips for using home banking safely

1. To connect to the bank's website, directly enter the address in the navigation bar and check that the site name is correctly written; never click on links that refer to the website of the bank if they are within suspicious emails or sms.
2. When you are on the bank's website, double-click on the lock icon in the navigation bar and verify the correctness of the data that is displayed (find the icon on the left if you use Mozilla and Chrome as navigation, right for Internet Explorer ).
3. Periodically change the access codes to your reserved area and regularly check the movements of the current account to make sure that the transitions shown are those that you actually carried out. The notification systems made available by your bank can be very useful to verify the operations.

3 Useful tips for using mobile banking safely

1. Install and keep the antivirus, the operating system and the applications up-to-date and remember to disable WI-Fi, geolocation and bluetooth when not in use.
2. Use only official apps and, during installation, pay attention to the required permissions ensuring that they are strictly connected to the service you intend to use. In the event of theft or loss of your device, notify your bank to stop the mobile banking app service.
3. For added security, set your device to lock automatically when it enters pause mode and, when possible, enable encryption of the device and memory card.

3 Useful tips for using payment cards safely

1. Keep your card carefully and never with the PIN. Do not communicate the detailed information of your cards to others.
2. If you notice unauthorized use of your card, notify your bank immediately; if you lose or steal it, block it immediately, in order to avoid fraudulent use and contact the police to file a complaint.
3. When you are at the bank's ATM (ATM), take some precautions, such as preventing someone from reading your PIN while you type or be distracted by strangers while you are doing business.

3 Useful tips for using e-commerce safely

1. Avoid making online transactions from shared computers or workstations in places that may be unsafe, such as hotels and internet cafés, and at the end of each purchase, remember to log out of the e-commerce site.
2. Use different credentials to authenticate on different sites and avoid the "automatic saving" of passwords on browsing programs.
3. Always evaluate the reviews left by other users about the reliability of the seller you're referring to.

Abi: vademecum for operating online in complete safety