Tips for secure e-banking

When you have logged into your e-banking account, check whether at the very beginning of the address bar the SSL encryption icon – a lock – can be seen. In addition, the name of your bank should always be displayed in the browser. Attention: always use the keyboard to enter the address for your e-banking account. Never load the page via a link.

The password constitutes a big security factor in online banking. For instance, many people use passwords containing the names of family members and combine them with birthday dates. Such passwords may be easy to remember. However, they are also relatively easy to "crack" by using specialised software.

It is recommended to consider all dimensions when choosing a password: the number of characters, the use of upper- and lower-case letters, as well as numbers and special characters. What is needed here is creativity.

For more complex passwords, mnemonics can be a help. Omitting the first characters of the sentence "Globi should become 1 of 7 Federal Councillors, right?" results in the following password: "Gsb1o7FC,r?".

Most importantly: the password should not be saved in the browser. It should also be changed regularly, for example every two months.

Furthermore, it is recommended to view your account daily. This helps to immediately recognise a fraudulent transaction and to report it by phone to your bank. The faster you inform your bank about the fraudulent transaction, the higher the chance that you get your money back.

A preventive measure against a hacking attack is to define upper limits for transactions, for example a daily and a weekly limit. With this measure, you can at least limit the financial damage. Up-to-date antivirus software is also indispensable for countering hacker attacks in advance.

• Edge: Click on the icon with the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the browser window. Select "Settings". Click on "Privacy, search, and services". Under "Clear browsing data", select "Choose what to clear". Select the "Cookies and data stored" and "Cached data and files" check boxes and click on "Clear now".

• Firefox: Press the three keys "Shift", "Control" and "Delete" at once and select "Last hour". Click on the arrow to display the details and select all entries. Then click on "Clear now".

• Google Chrome: Click on the icon with the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the browser window, select "More tools", then click on "Clear browsing data". Alternatively, you can press the three keys "Shift", "Control" and "Delete" at once. Select "Last hour" at the top, select "Cookies and other site data" as well as "Cached images and files" and click on "Clear data".

• Safari: Click "Safari" in the top left-hand corner of the browser window. Select "Clear history…". Define the time period for which you would like to delete the history and click on "Clear history".

• Safari for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch: "Settings" > "Safari" and tap "Clear history and website data".

• Chrome app for Android: Open the Chrome app on your android smartphone or tablet. Tap the "More" icon in the top right-hand corner. Tap the boxes next to "Cookies and site data" and "Cached images and files". Select "Clear data".

You can find further instructions and information on the topic of security at E-banking – but secure.