Despite some reports to the contrary, mobile banking has not caught on with the fervor of online banking. After all it took quite awhile for most Americans to get comfortable sending and receiving their sensitive banking information through the internet cloud. It will take some time, but the majority of smart phone users will eventually come around. But, some identity theft experts claim that smart phone technology is still not as secure as the Internet, and, if you are considering going mobile with your banking, you should take some additional steps to keep your accounts as safe as possible.

Be computer security-wise: The smart phone revolution has spawned a whole new generation of hackers and viruses. All of the same precautions that you take to fortify your computer against hackers need to be taken with your smart phone. Namely, don’t store any passwords where hackers will find them. Keep them off of your smart phone. That said, you need to set up a password for the phone. This is done through the settings menu.

Know you’re going to lose it: It happens, more than you might be willing to admit. We all lose our phones. When that happens, you need a way to remotely lock it down so the memory cannot be accessed. This technology is available as a service application through providers like Lookout.

Bank with the majors: First, it’s important that you bank with an established institution. They are more likely to offer the technology you need to safely use your phone for banking. You want to look for banks that provide special mobile apps so you can avoid using the regular Internet browser on your phone.

Skip the Apps: Downloading apps is like offering up a slide for a thief to come slipping right into your phone. You don’t know where the next malware or virus is going to come from, so just don’t do download unless you know everything you need to know about the app. Avoid free games, and wait to try an app after it’s been out awhile even if they are from trusted sources.