The IT security vendor also reports that only 39% of people using online banking are using a comprehensive suite of security software - with the majority (54%) instead admitting to just having basic anti-virus protection in place
Commenting on the survey results, Raj Samani, McAfee EMEA's chief technology officer, said that most instances of banking fraud are not due to the bank’s technology being compromised.
“It’s more likely that people are unwittingly giving out their personal banking information to criminals via phishing scams and copycat sites, or their computers being infected with malware”, he explained.
The conclusion from its survey – which took in responses from 2,000 people – are that, whilst UK consumers continue to embrace the anytime, anywhere convenience of online and mobile banking, they aren’t necessarily staying safe.
The research, says McAfee, highlights how media reports of cybercrime attacks, such as the Sony PlayStation Network security breach, have caused a large number of people (81%) to become more wary of using online banking facilities and inputting their details online.
Delving into the research reveals that just a third of people (33%) are completely confident that their details are safe when they bank online and a fifth (20%) of online bankers believe they are likely to have their financial information stolen in the next three months.
In fact, researchers found, more people (54%) are worried about having their personal or financial information stolen than about losing their job (41%).
Passwords, inevitably, remain another cause of concern, with 16% of those surveyed keeping their online banking details written on a piece of paper, with a further 15% have them saved on their computer or mobile phone. Just under a quarter (23%), meanwhile, have an easy to remember name such as their pet or mother’s maiden name as their online banking password, whilst 15% use an easy to remember date. Almost a third (30%) also admit to using these same passwords for other purposes.
Against this backdrop, McAfee recommends that online banking users should have a comprehensive security suite that protects you and your family’s banking integrity. It also pays, the vendor says, to remember to run a security scan before signing up for any online banking services to ensure you're starting with a computer free of malware.
Users should also never respond to unsolicited email from a bank that requests personal information, such as your user name, password, or address. Even if the email looks legitimate, the vendor adds, users should reply, click on links or open attachments included in the email.
Online banking users also need to create strong passphrases and not be afraid to go beyond the standard eight characters and a couple of numbers - the longer, the better, says the vendor.