Ive always used free AVG on my laptop, but up until now have not done my banking online.
Any advice/opinions on whether this is adequate ?
My instincts are that I should pay for their upgrade protection which covers banking security.
Are my instincts right ?
Lynda
Depends which bank you intend using, mine issued free downloads of "Rapport". This is set up on my main PC to cover Paypal transactions as well as occasional transactions through my second bank..Santander.
Virus protection on that machine is the default Virgin Media protection which comes free with the broadband contract. The laptop is covered by the paid up version of AGV, I do sometimes purchase on Ebay with the laptop. The virus protection on either machine never interferes with secure connection online transactions.
Regards accessing my account online. HSBC requires a one-time-only 6 digit code generated by the credit card sized keycode pad. Transactions above preset value also require the use of the keycode pad to complete the transaction. Vericode is also used by HSBC, but only with participating retailers.
In the six years I have been using online banking, the now defunct Mastercard was compromised twice in a very short space of time. The first was by a lady in France who clobbered my card for £6oo worth of beauty treatment (honest). My bank cancelled the card and refunded without question. For various reasons, it was five days before I activated the new card, which was promptly clouted for £178 for an airline ticket by some joker in Russia. It turned out, HSBC had a dodgy IT manager in India who was selling thousands of card details for £4 each....My new card was compromised even before I activate it.
In answer to your original question, find out from your bank what security system is in use for online account access, then do a google search to see what the general concensus of opinion is on that particular system. As I understand it, any secure connection, indicated in your address bar as "shttp" requires no interrogation by any virus protection software.
I'll have to confess, I'm starting to find it difficult to get my head round the ever increasing security systems surrounding my online account. So much so, that I have taken to keeping a substantial amount of hard cash in a very secure safe at home...if I succeed in totally locking my cards, at least I can buy food etc. Apparently, I am not alone in taking such steps.
Advantages of online banking, in my opinion greatly out-weigh the disadvantages of branch counter banking. If some rotten blighter sends me a sweet old-fashioned cheque, I have to drive into town, pay £4 to park the car, only to stuff the cheque into an automated machine.
Imagine my joy, when the AA tried to increase my annual subscription from £57 up to £175, apparently because after five years I became a "gold" member, of logging on to my bank account and cancelling the direct debit with immediate effect. Being in control is very satisfying.
