Saving ATM PIN On Your Mobile Or Email? Read This To Know Why It’s Bad

Today, one might have multiple bank accounts and with it, multiple debit, credit, and ATM cards. It's often advised not to keep the same password or ATM PIN for multiple bank cards. But did you also know that it's unsafe to store your ATM PIN on your mobile, computer, or email? Read on to know why.

One In Three Indians Store Personal Date On PC, Mobile

A new survey by community platform LocalCircles has revealed a couple of interesting behavioral traits of Indians. The report found that one in three Indians store confidential information on their mobile, computer, or email. Here, the information could be anything like bank account details, debit card info, credit card credentials, ATM PINs, PAN card number, Aadhaar number, and so on.

What's more, 11 percent of Indians store personal financial information on their phone contact list. One should know that apps ask for permission access of apps, including the contact list access. The survey report further revealed that Indians share their passwords with "1 or more members of the close family."

Going further into the survey report, seven percent of the surveyed population stated that they stored details like bank account, debit or credit card CVV, ATM passwords, Aadhaar, or PAN Number on their phone. Another 15 percent said they stored it on their email or computer. Only 21 percent of the surveyed said they memorized all their personal data and information while 39 percent have saved it on paper.

Risks Of Saving Credentials Online

The rising number of hacks and data theft speak for themselves. When we store any of our personal information, including our Aadhaar and PAN numbers, it becomes a risk. Moreover, saving data like our ATM PIN codes is another threat altogether. Today, a lot of illegal and malicious activities are possible simply with your ATM PIN. We often hear about the loss of money and other such incidents on the rise.

Where Can You Save Your Credentials?

Naturally, this is another question one might ask. Today, we have a lot of important and sensitive information that requires safekeeping. If you wish to store or save your data online, here are some steps to protect it:

Step 1: Password protect your documents. Rather than simply saving it on your contact list or your phone's notes, the password protects this data. This ensures no one has access to this information apart from you.

Step 2: Save it on the cloud. Cloud storage is another way you can keep your credentials safe. Instead of simply saving it on your PC or email, shift it to your cloud storage. Once done, make sure it's password-protected once again.

Step 3: Save it on portable disks. If you're unsure of saving it on the cloud, you can also use hard disks or pen drives to save this information. Portable disks also have the option of keeping a password, which helps to boost security.

Step 4: Stay aware and updated. Sensitive financial details are a major risk to everyone, especially with the rising number of hackers. It's important to always stay updated and aware of the latest developments. You can also keep changing your password and ATM PIN codes to ensure utmost safety.

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