What is the safest technical setup for online banking ?

jj20

OK I've tried to read and understand the comments posted on this thread but as a technophobe it's a bit overwhelming.  I am very nervous of using online banking/shopping etc but I know I need to start using it, although I will continue to use cash as I think it's important to keep it in circulation.  I think the best thing for me is a mobile that is kept at home.  My question is how important are the security updates? Is it not safe to use a phone when it no longer gets them? 

MattMattMattUK

jj20 said:

OK I've tried to read and understand the comments posted on this thread but as a technophobe it's a bit overwhelming.  I am very nervous of using online banking/shopping etc but I know I need to start using it,

The reality is it is incredibly safe and secure. The vast majority of fraud that relates to online banking is confidence tricks, the fraudster gets the customer to send them the money themselves by pretending to be someone else (bank, police, relative etc.).

jj20 said:

although I will continue to use cash as I think it's important to keep it in circulation.

Cash is dying and in many areas is already dead, I suspect it will be gone entirely within a decade.

jj20 said:

I think the best thing for me is a mobile that is kept at home.

Your normal smartphone is fine because there is additional security to get into the app, just do not use the same passcode for your banking app as for your phone.

jj20 said:

My question is how important are the security updates? Is it not safe to use a phone when it no longer gets them? 

Reasonably important in theory, in practice less important. Personally I would not have online/mobile banking on a phone PC that was not getting security updates because I dislike holes, but in the real world the risk is actually fairly minimal for someone who is sensible. 

GeoffTF

jj20 said:

OK I've tried to read and understand the comments posted on this thread but as a technophobe it's a bit overwhelming.  I am very nervous of using online banking/shopping etc but I know I need to start using it, although I will continue to use cash as I think it's important to keep it in circulation.  I think the best thing for me is a mobile that is kept at home.  My question is how important are the security updates? Is it not safe to use a phone when it no longer gets them? 

The banks do not seem to care. They allow ancient phones to be used. I would not trust a phone that did not have security updates for an account that has serious money in it. Samsung offers 6 years of security updates after the first release for the A16, which is the longest for a budget phone.

dino2020

jj20 said:

OK I've tried to read and understand the comments posted on this thread but as a technophobe it's a bit overwhelming.  I am very nervous of using online banking/shopping etc but I know I need to start using it, although I will continue to use cash as I think it's important to keep it in circulation.  I think the best thing for me is a mobile that is kept at home.  My question is how important are the security updates? Is it not safe to use a phone when it no longer gets them? 

Can second what @GeoffTF just said about the Samsung A16.

We have the previous very similar model the  A15 and its been the best phone we have ever used in that it has such easy to use software. 

We really like the password protected  Samsung Secure Folder where you can place/hide all your Banking Apps etc.

Sadly its our eyesight and arthritis in our hands that make it hard to use any such phone for detailed work like banking.

If needing to buy one, would recommned getting the A16 5G model as this will also prolong its usable life and also buy direct / in person  from places like Argos, who do offer very good prices,  as a lot of mail order phones go missing in transit, a current well known theft problem.

GeoffTF

dino2020 said:

If needing to buy one, would recommned getting the A16 5G model as this will also prolong its usable life and also buy direct / in person  from places like Argos, who do offer very good prices,  as a lot of mail order phones go missing in transit, a current well known theft problem.

There are no plans to cut off the 4G network. 5G performance is unlikely to be useful to the OP. The phone is likely to be toast by the time the security updates run out, after 5 and a bit years. I would save money by going for the cheaper 4G version. I would second buying in person from Argos, Currys or perhaps even better John Lewis.

jj20

Thanks everyone who replied ( I don't know how to reply to individual posts).
Matt - I've been incredibly nervous of doing things online since I got my email account hacked years ago (my mistake by clicking on a security link), and I know I'd get very flustered if anyone phoned pretending to be from the bank etc.   Do banks etc ever phone you regarding your accounts, and if yes, how would you verify they are genuine?  Also when shopping online how do you make sure it's a genuine site as Ive read they can copy genuine sites now? 
I know cash is dying out but I will continue to use as long as I can because I think it's a mistake to be all digital and give government/banks total control over your money (look at the bank crashes/hacking/stopping you accessing your own money etc). 

Geoff - OK, it seems it's best to have long security updates then to be on the safe side.  Im looking at a few phones at the moment (mostly under £150), such as xiaomi, Motorola, honor etc but was unsure which to get as there is just so many of them.  Il check out the Samsung one though.

Dino - good to know that the Samsung a16 is a good phone, and I'm similar to you in that eyesight conditions and arthitus in hands cause difficulties for me too.   All the phones seem huge to me now but I could do with a smaller sized phone for calls but a bigger one for the other stuff ha.

Thanks. 

dino2020

Dino - good to know that the Samsung a16 is a good phone, and I'm similar to you in that eyesight conditions and arthitus in hands cause difficulties for me too.   All the phones seem huge to me now but I could do with a smaller sized phone for calls but a bigger one for the other stuff ha.
 

Would suggest you stick with a larger sized phone for everything ,using 2 will just add complications, am sure you will soon get used to and like the larger screen,

Had Motorolas before the Samsung, the Samsung being much better all round  imho.

Chinese  phones , they do get good reviews  but its more a question of how safe they are, re spying etc ?

The 5G option can mean better speeds when online, ours is faster than the 100mb Fibre broadband !.

You may get a call from your bank, but not very often,  when they call us, we just say, thankyou but we cannot accept such incoming calls, we will contact your helpline ourselves, they never complain.

If you have had email trouble before, open a new account with another service just to be used for banking.

Places like Proton Mail offer a free single email account.

GeoffTF

jj20 said:

Geoff - OK, it seems it's best to have long security updates then to be on the safe side.  Im looking at a few phones at the moment (mostly under £150), such as xiaomi, Motorola, honor etc but was unsure which to get as there is just so many of them.  Il check out the Samsung one though.

The Samsung A16 4G is £170 from Argos. There is no point in saving a few quid and getting a worse phone with only a year or two of updates. You can buy the Samsung cheaper from Amazon, but you may get a box full of mud. Argos sometimes does special offers. You may get the phone for £150 if you can wait.

Rudyson

GeoffTF said:

jj20 said:

Geoff - OK, it seems it's best to have long security updates then to be on the safe side.  Im looking at a few phones at the moment (mostly under £150), such as xiaomi, Motorola, honor etc but was unsure which to get as there is just so many of them.  Il check out the Samsung one though.

The Samsung A16 4G is £170 from Argos.

Same price at Currys

jj20

Thanks dino,  I did look at the Motorola phones which seem to have some good specs but not so much with the updates and some xiaomi ones but I don't know how safe they are.  I'd probably be the same as you if I received any calls from a bank, and I would contact them myself directly.  Anyway thanks. 

Geoff -  are Samsung the only ones with longer updates on them?   I had a brief look at the a16 which seem to have mixed reviews, but I agree getting a cheaper phone with less updates is probably not the best idea.