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So - is my iPhone safe to use for banking?

A week into the proceedings and I'm still very pleased with the iPhone. Shame the O2 coverage is so poor in my flat - but hey - it'll be summer soon so I can stand in the garden and shout "I'm in the garden on the phone".

One thing I have noticed is that I haven't read any instruction book. In fact I don't think it came with one - despite that I seem to have numerous email accounts and my entire address book on it. It's all way too easy.

So - banking then. It has been suggested to me that using the iPhone to access a bank account via a web page is a huge security risk. Some miscreant nicks your phone and has instant access to your account. Before you can call someone to report it missing - your account is emptied.

Except - surely the villain would still need to know my account numbers, PIN and security questions. And have nimble fingers too. So how is that less secure than using your home computer?

Anyone in the business care to comment? 

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Comments: (2)

Nick Collin
Nick Collin - Collin Consulting Ltd - London 11 February, 2008, 10:30Be the first to give this comment the thumbs up 0 likes I'm not an expert in this area so I'd welcome informed comment too.  My understanding was that a mobile phone, like a PC, is inherently insecure, so your account number, PIN and security questions would be logged by spyware within the phone then broadcast to the fraudster who would use them to clean out your account by whatever means he chose.  In other words he doesn't need to steal the phone first.  Is this plausible?
A Finextra member
A Finextra member 11 February, 2008, 11:27Be the first to give this comment the thumbs up 0 likes A PC might be inherently insecure but I believe as yet there isn't any spyware problem on the Mac and I would assume the iPhone would be similarly immune. Again - I'd really like to know!

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