When we speak about safety in online investing, we're not talking about hedging your stock bets.
Security is about privacy and reliability.
With over 11 million online accounts in existence, brokerages are motivated to keep their network security top-notch. Since the first days of e-commerce, there have been concerns about security on the Internet and the privacy of a shopper's credit card information. The concern is heightened when it comes to online brokerage accounts, because hacking such an account could have more serious consequences than stealing a person's credit card number. Network security software has been elevated to such a level that it's probably more dangerous nowadays to use your credit card at dinner, or giving your card number over the phone to place a mail order. The quick answer to security fear is that online investing is safe.