As I am having problems with my Win10 laptop (other thread) which I only really purchased for banking purposes, due to Win7 updates discontinuing last year, I am considering / looking at what other options there is for safe online banking. Especially if I cannot get my Win10 laptop working properly.

 

What do you guys / girls use. I'm not sure if my (Android) phone is secure enough but ideally the screen is too small anyway.

Does anyone still do online banking using Windows7 ???

 

If my laptop issue proves to be a Microsoft issue, I may consider a windows alternative. I believe a lot of guys are very happy with Windows10 though but it has not been a good experience for me so far. Being not very tech savvy I do like to stick with what I know / have learn't, but that would be Win7, Lol. Cheers.

I use my smartphone for online banking with Nationwide since that's what they set it up for me back when I opened the account. As such, I've never accessed it anywhere else.

 

13 minutes ago, Tilt said:

If my laptop issue proves to be a Microsoft issue, I may consider a windows alternative.

 

I looked at a Windows XP alternative for my 2006 Dell Latitude D400 and opted to try out Lubuntu Linux - which is a Lite Ubuntu type operating system. Ran miles better, even with what's now considered as paltry specifications. I may give Lubuntu (or equivalent) a shot on one of my older laptops at some point.

 

17 minutes ago, Tilt said:

I believe a lot of guys are very happy with Windows10 though but it has not been a good experience for me so far.

 

I've had a sub-par experience with Windows 10 overall. I found 7 to be less buggy in comparison. My hardware has obviously changed which has meant that I can't give a clear comparison.

 

Hope that helps.

I use mine on either Imac or iPhone. In most cases it’s the phone on the go. The macs only for the larger screen if I’m tired or having issues with focus after a migraine. 

It depends on how you define on line banking.

I define it as using a browser to access the bank on line .

You can do this on any device capable of going on line( PC/laptop/tablet). It's simple. On browser log onto www.BANK.co,uk ( where BANK is on line address e.g. natwest etc) , then on bank site, "log in " with your own personal customer number( usually DOB + a unique number supplied by bank), then answer security questions. After that bank will send you a SMS with a pass code to the phone number they hold for you. Enter that on line and all is well. You are in.

Or alternatively ( and I recommend using a 10" tablet,as it's a lot easier than anything smaller), find the bank app for the bank . Install and follow instructions.

But the app method is more restrictive than logging on.

 

 

Any help.

10 hours ago, VWD said:

But the app method is more restrictive than logging on.

Which annoys me I have to admit, means as well as the app I need to remember my login details for the once ever few months I need to login via a browser.

 

[rant] I don't see any logic behind restricting what the app can do, and what do people who only have a smartphone do - visiting a bank branch is often a futile exercise of queueing only to find that the person you need to speak to doesn't work on that day or in that branch [/rant]

35 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

visiting a bank branch is often a futile exercise of queueing only to find that the person you need to speak to doesn't work on that day or in that branch

 

Now a trek into Ayr since they closed the local branch for me. Mobile van banking doesn't work well either.

1 hour ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Mobile van banking doesn't work well either

The social introduction "I'm a van banker" has its problems, too ...

 

Edited 21 January, 20224 yr by MikeTheThinker
rogue apostrophe removal

Thanks guys.

I actually decided to use my phone and it wasn't as difficult to sort through my statements as I thought.......... re small screen.

And I think it is secure enough and un-compromised.

 

I really do wish I had not bought my Windows 10 laptop. the updates have been a pita ever since purchase pretty much.

On 30/12/2021 at 14:29, Tilt said:

What do you guys / girls use. I'm not sure if my (Android) phone is secure enough but ideally the screen is too small anyway.

Does anyone still do online banking using Windows7 ???

 

If my laptop issue proves to be a Microsoft issue, I may consider a windows alternative. I believe a lot of guys are very happy with Windows10 though but it has not been a good experience for me so far. Being not very tech savvy I do like to stick with what I know / have learn't, but that would be Win7, Lol. Cheers.

I am still using Win 7, although there are no more regular updates. I use a desktop PC because I don't much like laptop keyboards. I do have antimalware installed: McAfee is provided by my ex-academic link, and I have Malwarebytes free version to run from time to time. As I don't browse dodgy websites or reply to unwanted emails, I feel save to continue with Win 7.  My wife had Win 8.1 on a laptop a while ago and it was such a disaster she gave the whole thing away to a post-grad student!  My PC is probably too old to run Win 10 or later.

 

With two-factor authentication, where a pass-number is sent to one's mobile phone, I think online banking is reasonably safe, though I would not use it for any major things like house or car purchase. I don't keep a big balance in my accounts, just in case....    Dealing with HSBC was awkward and one reason I switched to Barclays. I also use Nationwide: I like dealing with N'wide as the local branch are also so very helpful.

@OldTrilobite Guessing that means you still use Win7 for banking then.

 

Sounds similar to mine, though I do still rely on MSE. I believe that still gets updates.

I also use Malwarebytes free......... No dodgy sites and very careful with my email. (touch wood).

 

What I do like though is my two factor information gets sent to an older phone that never connects to the internet and always stays in the house.

Only recently became slightly more awkward due to Amazon sending links rather than numbers, so have to type the link in, but I don't use Amazon very often anyway.

 

Cheers.

2 hours ago, Tilt said:

Windows 10 laptop. the updates have been a pita

Windoze "updates" have been a PITA since at least Windoze NT/4, and possibly earlier.

32 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Windoze "updates" have been a PITA since at least Windoze NT/4, and possibly earlier.

 

Windows 98 updates that didn't quite go on right and permanently ****ed with the registry still haunt me.

17 hours ago, OldTrilobite said:

 I do have antimalware installed: McAfee is provided by my ex-academic link, and I have Malwarebytes free version to run from time to time.

I run Windows 8.1 on my desktop and Windows 11 on my new 2-in-1, both have One Avast and Malwarebytes installed.

 

I have only been hacked once, and that was when I used McAfee - and around the same time my brother (who doesn't live at the same address) and was also using McAfee got hacked - since then (and based on some poor reviews at the time) we have both vowed never to let McAfee near our PCs again.

1 hour ago, PetrolDave said:

I have only been hacked once, and that was when I used McAfee - and around the same time my brother (who doesn't live at the same address) and was also using McAfee got hacked - since then (and based on some poor reviews at the time) we have both vowed never to let McAfee near our PCs again.

 

I agree that McAfee has a poor rating. I have it available because it is free from my ex-academic work, but I rely primarily on Malwarebytes to keep me clean. I doubt that McAfee poses an actual risk if it is installed. It is many years since I had a virus warning from whatever anti-malware I had at the time. I guess I am lucky (and careful)  😀

 

For the technically minded you can replace/edit the hosts file on any Windows or for that matter Linux or Apple system, to block known threats, I use one of the hosts file from https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts

 

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/27350/beginner-geek-how-to-edit-your-hosts-file/

 

One point to note is if you install a very large hosts file like those in Steven Blacks website, when you reboot your computer, it can take a few minutes for your wifi to become active as the OS scan the dns blacklist.

 

Alternatively you can install the ublock origin extension on Firefox or Chrome which will provide a similar level of protection.

 

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm?hl=en

 

Or do both!

 

Banking apps on modern mobiles are pretty good and offer good security.

 

 

Edited 22 January, 20224 yr by xman

I dropped McAfee like a hot tattie after it done nothing after a bit of malware ravaged our desktop computer. Same with Norton.

 

I'm a lot more sensible now for a start, and I use Bullguard on my laptop and honestly jist being cautious is plenty on the desktop which is on Windows Defender alone.

12 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

I run Windows 8.1 on my desktop and Windows 11 on my new 2-in-1, both have One Avast and Malwarebytes installed.

 

I have only been hacked once, and that was when I used McAfee - and around the same time my brother (who doesn't live at the same address) and was also using McAfee got hacked - since then (and based on some poor reviews at the time) we have both vowed never to let McAfee near our PCs again.

Were you "hacked" or subject to a data breach, where a site with your data was breached. There has been a lot of this recently. Sites like "haveibeen pwned" will alert you to breached usernames or passwords, but they want cash to tell you which site had the breach.

Available for:

Mac iOS Android

Clario is free ( I've no connection other than as a happy user), but once you've added your username, it will happily tell you which password for that account has been on a dark site so you can change that one. It runs almost in the backgound on tablets etc, and will give you an alert for data breach.

I run Avast one with Malwarebytes, but another program worth looking at is RogueKiller. It's guilty of false alerts, but better that than a hack/breach. But the best defence is being alert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, VWD said:

Were you "hacked" or subject to a data breach, where a site with your data was breached. There has been a lot of this recently. Sites like "haveibeen pwned" will alert you to breached usernames or passwords, but they want cash to tell you which site had the breach.

It was a zero click attachment that McAfee failed to spot - fortunately no data loss happened and SVRT (Sophos Virus Removal Tool) spotted the 'interloper' when it was run.

 

It wasn't recent, I'm talking around 7 years ago.