A Smartphone and online banking

TheElectricCow

Your own device is likely to be more secure than any public PC, with the exception of your phone being potentially lost or stolen. Take care to ensure you have a secure password,  only download apps from the official store on your device, and never access any banking services from website links that another person has sent to you.

While I’m sure a rare occurrence, it’s very possible for a bad actor to compromise the security of a publicly accessible computer by, as an example, installing software that records the keys pressed when inputting a password. 

You can’t know for certain who may have tampered with a public PC, while a phone kept in your possession can’t be physically accessed in the same way which reduces at least one aspect of that risk.

libra10

Is using facial recognition to access the apps safer than inserting password?

booneruk

libra10 said:

Is using facial recognition to access the apps safer than inserting password?

of course.. no one could "guess" your face. Personally I'd use fingerprint though.

friolento

booneruk said:

libra10 said:

Is using facial recognition to access the apps safer than inserting password?

of course.. no one could "guess" your face. Personally I'd use fingerprint though.

On more recent iPhones, you either use FaceID or passcode. No fingerprint.

Why do you prefer fingerprint?

friolento

Don't forget to update your SIM PIN from the factory setting to a PIN you choose yourself. This protects you from SIM swap scams.

400ixl

friolento said:

booneruk said:

libra10 said:

Is using facial recognition to access the apps safer than inserting password?

of course.. no one could "guess" your face. Personally I'd use fingerprint though.

On more recent iPhones, you either use FaceID or passcode. No fingerprint.

Why do you prefer fingerprint?

The majority of the world do not use iPhones which allows fingerprint recognition for many.

Its harder to involuntary get someone's fingerprint than to just point their phone at their face. Although to be honest if you are in that situation you are pretty buggered anyway.

PIN / password is the weakest of the 3 as that can be observed and then used on a pickpocketed phone. Face is next as they could just point it at you to unlock, fingerprint the hardest as they have to physically interact.

Outeast1000

Outeast1000 said:

I have always used a public PC with inPrivate  browsing to check my bank balance and transactions . Now i use my own  Android 12 Smartphone to do it 

My question is how safe is it to use my smartphone to do it ? is it 100% safe to do it ?

I do not have a bank app on my phone because if it is lost or stolen how do I access my bank account then ? 

eskbanker

Outeast1000 said:

Outeast1000 said:

I have always used a public PC with inPrivate  browsing to check my bank balance and transactions . Now i use my own  Android 12 Smartphone to do it 

My question is how safe is it to use my smartphone to do it ? is it 100% safe to do it ?

I do not have a bank app on my phone because if it is lost or stolen how do I access my bank account then ? 

Using an app and (separate) online banking aren't mutually exclusive!  Also, presumably if your phone was lost or stolen then you'd replace it?

friolento

400ixl said:

friolento said:

booneruk said:

libra10 said:

Is using facial recognition to access the apps safer than inserting password?

of course.. no one could "guess" your face. Personally I'd use fingerprint though.

On more recent iPhones, you either use FaceID or passcode. No fingerprint.

Why do you prefer fingerprint?

The majority of the world do not use iPhones which allows fingerprint recognition for many.

Its harder to involuntary get someone's fingerprint than to just point their phone at their face. Although to be honest if you are in that situation you are pretty buggered anyway.

PIN / password is the weakest of the 3 as that can be observed and then used on a pickpocketed phone. Face is next as they could just point it at you to unlock, fingerprint the hardest as they have to physically interact.

I'd rather close my eyes (in which case face recognition fails) than have my fingers forced onto my phone. But yes, if you are in that situation, you are pretty welll snookered

400ixl

By either using the web banking if the offer it, or putting the app on a new phone.

Using a public PC even with inPrivate browsing was never a good idea. Using a banking app on a fully supported and up to date Android OS is the best and most secure methods for you to be using.