Is Online Banking Safe? Beware the pitfalls of convenience when it comes to conducting transactions via the web.

Although small-business owners are often encouraged by their banks to use online banking services, recent news about common tools of the trade hasn't been good.

Last November, the FBI issued a warning about a serious uptick in online banking fraud targeting small businesses, especially Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions--which are used for direct deposit of payroll, vendor payments and the like--wire transfers and malware that steals sensitive information, including account numbers and passwords.