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With the growing popularity of smartphones and other internet enabled handheld devices, most businesses and service providers are now exploring the online provider to connect with their customers and providing their services. With customers demanding online services and smart tools to manage their banking transactions and finances on the go, most banks are getting into the arena of online banking.

Experts like Global Chief Operating Officer John Ferraro E&Y,senior advisory partner for some of Ernst and Young's most important global accounts, feel that online banking is here to stay and banks need to develop their online services to offer complete freedom and accessibility to their customers.

Internet banking or online banking allows customers associated with financial institutions to go through various transactions on secure websites maintained and managed by the institutions. Virtual or retail banks, credit unions, building societies and many other financial organizations are coming forward to provide various banking services to their clients. It is common to find people using their mobile devices and computers to access their account information, secure loans, transfer funds to third parties or withdraw cash from remote locations.

It is important to note that one of the most important aspects of online banking is the high ended security provided to the sensitive financial information of clients. Newer technological inputs and integration of more sophisticated software application into the existing systems are helping financial institutions succeed in obstructing unauthorized access to online banking accounts of their customers. Clients no longer hesitate to login into their online banking accounts for credit card transactions, online payments for purchase of goods and services or transfer money to overseas customers or family members.

Customers, individuals and business are benefiting in more ways than one with more and more banks and financial institutions offering online banking facilities. Well, convenience is undoubtedly the biggest advantage which lures clients. Online banking also serves to be a great money saver and proves to have better integration and practice value in their life.The innumerable services connected with online banking are available 24/7. This means goodbye to long queues, rush of banking hours and travel time needed to reach the branch. With smart phones, connectivity and other technological features dominating business and private lives, the mobility meted out by online banking takes proper care of most banking needs.The lower transaction fees, higher interest rates, ready accessibility to accounting information and the power to control operations at fingertips is making online banking a popular option for many.

The list about the advantages is indeed endless. Online bankers should try to maximize their benefits by understanding the various virtual banking services for best results. Online banking is here to stay and customer should look forward to using its varied and secure features in every possible way.

© Ed Coyle Photography

San Francisco based Presidio Bank has come out with an innovative solution – called IronKey Trusted Access – to safeguard its customers against the threat of cyber crimes related to ACH, wire transfer and online banking. This Trusted Access prevents identity theft, online takeover of bank accounts, and frauds arising from making online payments. The unique solution also complies with the guidelines levied by Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) to minimize the risk involved in online banking leading to frauds.

Trusted Access solution is so powerful that it would guard online banking transactions even if the client's computer system is attacked by various viruses and malwares and they go undetected by anti-virus or other software. Whenever the bank customers start online banking, Trusted Access initiates a protective shield of virtual operating system and a secured web browser which is safe from any crime-wares on the computer system. This secured browser would only work with IronKey's Trusted Network and other sites which are approved by bank. According to a Gartner study, secured browsing is the most critical element of security to prevent any online banking fraud.

For this innovation, Western Independent Bankers Association has awarded the Presidio Bank with the "Innovative Community Bank" for the year.

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Online banking frauds have forced banks to take extra measures to tackle the same. The response has been such that online banking customers are left wondering if the banks have approached the issue in a rather crude manner.
'Secure keys' handed out by HSBC to its online banking customers generate a new key each time you use it, and now with more people going the online banking way for money transfer and the like, the responses too are many. Online banking customers feel that the method makes online banking rather cumbersome and time-consuming.
Many irritated online banking customers are venting out on twitter etc, but they should also look at the fact that online banking frauds still cost around $50 million annually.