They say, this generation is an enormous generation that is socially conscientious, well, yes a group of millennials who really cares where their money goes. They seek out experiences and products that no one else has. That’s why wherever they are, maybe in restaurants, café, school, banks or even at home, they will manage to consume products and services that that adapts to their behavior. Trending now is how wireless network technology lures the hearts of this younger and tech savvy generation.
Wherever you are, what ever you do, WiFi has been a part of your daily routine.It connects millions of people of different locations; maybe in your business, browsing for favorite sites ,online shopping, online banking, booking plane tickets and accommodation for your vacations plans and many more. Indeed it makes things a lot easier , convenient and fun.
But first, what is WiFi and how this actually works?
WiFi is the name of a popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections. WiFi is simply a trademarked phrase that means IEEE 802.11x.
WiFi networks have no physical wired connection between sender and receiver by using radio frequency (RF) technology — a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is created that then is able to propagate through space.
This is the “no strings attached” generation of technological advancements that brings ease and comfort to our lives.
Businesses have taken a lot of opportunities brought about by wireless network technologies. In banks for instance, wireless technology has brought a milestone development in providing the services for customers.Wireless banking is revolutionizing the financial industry. Banks are now capitalizing on the new trend that people wants to access their financial information anytime and anywhere. Though not all financial institution will find it easy to cope up with this radical transformation, these organizations are now trying to adjust to connectivity issues, protocol challenges, and security issues.
So pissed off about queuing system in banks to pay your bills? Thanks to online banking– you do not have to worry about long line queues, everything made easy at the tip of your fingers, anywhere, anytime. Using your computers or mobile, you can now transact with the bank easier thru the use of wireless network technology.
Online banking has been in a rise and even mobile banking makes things easier for all of us. You can do a lot of stuff online! You can now have the access to debit/savings accounts transactions, pay your bills, transfer funds, check your credit card balances and purchases, have your load wallets and prepaid loads for your phones and many more! It also gives us the assurance that we are pretty safe because we can do all this stuff at home without exposing your cash and cards.
But how about on Public places?
When we say it’s easy, it doesn’t always mean great idea! When you are in a café, you should have a second thought on logging on thru Public WiFi to do online banking. Why? Since you information is traveling through the internet, this means that your confidential data is unsafe. It gives the hackers lots of chances to steal confidential information-your username and passwords, credit/debit card numbers, ID numbers or sometimes, by pretending to be secure sites we are unaware that we are logging on to fake site! Some hackers may have installed “key-logger” that tracks every user name and password you enter. You may be a victim of social engineering attack.
Here’s how to ensure that your wireless network is safe.
Secure websites.
If one must do sensitive web browsing over a WiFi network in a public place you should be very sure you know that the WiFi is actually provided by the business and being passed through their router. It should be encrypted so you need a password to log on. The encryption scrambles your traffic so hackers can’t get your passwords or other information. You can tell encryption is running on a site when the web address in your browser starts with “https://”. A bank for example have this site for online banking: https://personal.metrobankdirect.com/RetailInternetPortal/
Use security software.
To encrypt your connection, you can use a virtual private network (VPN). In the business world, VPNs let employees working remotely create an encrypted connection with the company network so they can work safely. A VPN service lets you create an encrypted connection with one of its servers and you use that server to browse the internet. The connection is encrypted through the server, so the VPN can’t see your traffic either.
Use cellular networks.
Phones using Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet are susceptible to hacks. But phones using cellular data networks for their connection are much harder to fool. It’s much harder to replicate a cell phone tower. The biggest warning for checking and savings passwords on your phone for online banking is when it was lost or stolen. This time, it will be very easy for thieves to get bank and personal data. So keep a password screen lock and have a remote wipe program so you can delete all the data in your phone if ever.
Control your devices.
Don’t set your laptop and computers to “connect automatically” when it finds an available network. Thieves can make a “seem like legitimate” site just like the café or bank is offering. Make sure you set notifications to your emails or contact numbers whenever there is a malicious transaction going on to your bank accounts.
Be updated.
Also, make sure that you have updated antivirus on your mobile or laptops. Computer viruses may cause you “damage” when it targets your online banking information.Banks for instance, makes use of world class security and encryption to keep your data as safe as possible and are employing best IT people to continually improve and maintain security.
So every time we use wireless technology, don’t just be overwhelmed by the fact that it’s easy and great, please always take precaution before logging in especially to public (free WiFi) when it involves confidential and sensitive information just like our bank accounts. After all, nobody wants to get hacked and be left broke.
Sources:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Wi_Fi.html
http://www.komando.com/tips/317784
https://www.yahoo.com/news/blogs/upgrade-your-life/banking-online
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