Mobile app banking: You don’t have to give up safety for convenience

In the Park National Family of Community Banks, a majority of our clients do their banking electronically. They understand it’s a safe, secure and convenient way to handle their finances at home or on the go.

Mobile banking through our free app, however, is still young in its adoption. Nationally, just 31 percent of Americans use mobile banking according to a 2017 J.D. Powers survey. While 70 percent of millennials (people born between 1982 and 2004) bank regularly on their phones and tablets, older generations retain some skepticism of banking through an app.

That skepticism is rooted in the belief mobile banking is somehow less safe. Add in the constant headlines of major companies being hacked, and there is real fear that our personal information is easily compromised.

In fact, using a mobile banking app can be safer than online banking.

Part of the reason is criminals have created more viruses to attack computers than mobile devices. Computers have been around longer and hackers have become adept at constantly testing the vulnerabilities in the operating systems. Microsoft’s Windows owns the lion’s share of the PC market at greater than 83 percent, so criminals have focused on hacking where they can have the most success. There are more varieties of mobile operating systems, so there have been fewer viruses and malware aimed at them.

At our end, we ensure both mobile and online banking have the highest security. We use the latest encryption software and require two-factor authentication (a password and security question combination). We also require longer, stronger passwords, making it harder for hackers to break in.

Your actions help make your mobile banking experience safe too.

• Never give out your log-in credentials, and never text or email them to anyone.
• Be aware of what network you’re using to log in to your account through our mobile app. Stick with secure networks – such as the 3G or 4G systems through your mobile carrier – or your personal home Wi-Fi network.
• Never enter sensitive information over public Wi-Fi, such as at a coffee shop, airport or library.
• Never leave your mobile device unattended while you’re logged in to our banking app. Sign off if you have to walk away from your device for any length of time. Also, consider creating a password lock on your device and subscribing to services that allow you to remotely wipe all the data off your device should it ever be lost.
• Set up alerts on your mobile device to always have a way to quickly and easily monitor your account activity.

Coupled with your proactive attention, you can feel extremely confident in the safety and security of our mobile banking app. It takes just one small step to start enjoying all the benefits of banking on the go on your smartphone or tablet: Download our app on the App Store or on Google Play.

Once you do, many of the same features  in online banking are available through the app. And our latest version offers new debit card management features to give you more control over its use, including the ability to turn the card off if it’s lost or stolen and turn it back on just as quickly if it’s recovered.

We offer mobile banking with only one goal in mind: To make your life easier.

Apple is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.