Hey there! Internet banking technology in Belarus is supported by almost all banks, including Priorbank, BPS-Bank, Idea-Bank, Alfa-Bank, and Belarusbank. Why? Because it's super convenient: you can pay your utility bills online, mobile phone bills online, train tickets online, and make money transfers through the internet without leaving your home!

But then another question arises. How secure is internet banking, really? The ease and convenience of online banking attract a lot of people, but we should understand that in virtual transactions, security comes first.Today, I'll tell you about this technology using the example of the internet banking system of OAO 'ASB Belarusbank' and give you a few tips to help secure your finances.

So, let's get started!

☆ Interface and ergonomics of the system ☆

No, I'm not a sloth and I've been using internet banking since its inception.

Sloth - a well-established term in the internet, referring to 'draggers'

The interface of the OAO 'ASB Belarusbank' internet banking system is logical and easy to understand. Initially, we're presented with a page where we need to enter our login and password.

Then, we enter a special code from the card of codes, which you'll receive from the bank when you go to connect this service.After logging in, we're presented with the main page. I don't know how it is for the older generation, but for the youth, there won't be any confusing artifacts. And if they do arise, you'll find answers to almost all of them in the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section.

On the main page, we see the following active icons: 'Main', 'Payments and Transfers', 'Accounts', 'Transaction History''. I'll briefly explain what you can do on each of these active icons.

☆ Main ☆

On the main page, you can check exchange rates, set up auto-payments, and change your profile settings.

☆ Payments and Transfers (ERIP) ☆

This is the main tab for the average user. Here, you can make any payment, whether it's an online order or a mobile phone bill payment. You can also pay off a credit, transfer funds, or set up a 'one-click' payment.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of buttons at first, but then I remembered that in Belarus, almost all payments are made through ERIP. That's how I pay my utility bills, school fees, and train tickets – it's a one-stop shop. The ERIP system is an automated information system for a unified calculation and information space (AIS ERIP), accompanied by OAO Nekbankovskaya Kreditno-Finansovaya Organizatsiya "ERIP". The system is designed to provide comprehensive services to payers on the principle of "one window", reduce costs for processing payment operations, and enable payments to be made through any settlement agent from any region.

I'll walk you through how to make payments using the "ERIP" tab. Let's say I want to top up my phone using internet banking. What do I need to do?

First, I log in to the system, then navigate to the "Payments and Transfers" tab.

Next, I select the "ERIP" tab, and a tree-like structure appears on my screen. I select the "Mobile Communications" tab and choose my mobile operator. Then, I click on the "MTS by Phone Number" tab. Now, I start filling in the payment details. The first question that pops up is where to get the payer's number for internet banking. Don't worry, you don't need to get it anywhere – just click continue without entering any data. If the payer's number is not selected or entered, the payment will be made using the payer's number linked to your payment card.

Next, I enter my phone number. I enter the payment amount and click "Pay". All done, payment complete! To avoid doing all these steps again next time, let's save the payment. The saved payment will look like this. The money will be transferred to your account instantly – within 1 minute. Use this saved payment for the next mobile phone bill payment to this phone number.

By the way, here's what a payment receipt looks like.

Attention! Don't use the browser's back button! The internet banking system doesn't get along with this virtual button. Your motto when working with the system: "Forward and only forward!" To go back to the ERIP tree, click on the virtual button shown in the image.

Similarly, all other payments are made. The main thing you need to do is find the recipient in the ERIP tree. We'd like to draw your attention to the fact that all payments not related to payments in regions and regional centers are moved to the "All-republican" section.
To make payments to RUP "Beltelecom", select "All-republican" → Internet, Television, Telephony → Beltelecom

Well, grandma, let's meet at the post office when I go to pick up my package again? Or no, I'm already with you at 7 am in the bus: you're off to the clinic, and I'm on my way to work:).

★Accounts★

In this tab, you can see which card accounts you have, what funds you have, and get a report on operations on the account.

In this same section, you can open an internet loan, open or top up a deposit. ★Transaction History★

In this tab, you can see information about the payments you made within a certain period of time.

Pay attention to the fact that here, only information about payments made in the internet banking system of OAO "ASB Belarusbank" is displayed. ★Security★

I have to admit, I was surprised to learn that using internet banking can be a bit of a security risk. There are all sorts of rumors online about cyber thieves like 'Valera' who managed to clean out some poor woman's pension fund through internet banking. But how does this actually happen?

It all starts with the fact that the woman in question, let's call her 'Nadya', had a weak memory and wrote down her login and password on a note card for her online banking. And then she left the card on a chair in the waiting room at the clinic (she'd forgotten to pick up her medication that day). The cyber thief, aka 'Valera', found the card and transferred all of Nadya's money to an offshore account in the Canary Islands. Game over for Nadya's pension fund.

So, why am I telling you all this? Well, folks, be vigilant! If you don't take precautions, a thief is unlikely to be able to get to your finances. So, here are some simple rules to follow when using online banking:Set a strong password (with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers - at least!). And please, don't use your birthdate as your password - that's just asking for trouble!Don't share your login and password with anyone, and don't enter them anywhere except in the online banking interface!Change your password regularly - it's just common sense!Only use online banking from your home computer, or make sure your browser isn't storing your login details!Don't store your login and password in plain sight - don't write them on a note card and stick it on your monitor, for example!

These may seem like basic rules, but they can save you a lot of trouble.★Instead of a conclusion★

I could go on and on about why internet banking is a good thing, but let's just say it's convenient. Having a payment system that's always at your fingertips - what's better than that?

The online banking system from OAO 'ASB Belarusbank' is logical and easy to use - you don't need to be a genius to figure it out. If you're having trouble navigating the system, I recommend checking out the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section.

And don't be afraid to click on the different tabs - nothing will happen until you click 'Pay'!Is it safe to use internet banking? Absolutely - as long as you're not careless with your security.

That's all from me - if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

***And as a final poetic flourish:

If you don't want your finances to get hijacked by your bank,
Always check your balance and wipe that PIN code from your forehead!