security of onine wallets

[starsky]

hi guys
I just read few posts here about the security of wallets and stealing of dat file of the wallet to steal the coins.
Wondering is online wallets are safe?
I mean having BTC in online exchangers websites such as coinbase and mtgox or btc-e are safe or not?
Can anyone clarify this?
Thanks

[brom]

I just started using coinbase, because I had heard of their success from a friend.  It seems fairly reputable and they require minimal ID verification.  The only real downside is the 4 day wait time to get coins.  If you simply link your bank account, you must wait, whereas release is only expedited if your ID is verified (including last 4 digits of SSN), which is somewhat intrusive in my opinion.  Concerning security of your account, they apparently still use paper records in a safety deposit box.  For additional security, it may be a good idea to transfer your funds to a self-managed wallet on your computer to guarantee integrity of your funds, simply using services like coinbase for fund transfer between currencies.  Mt. Gox is also now requiring ID verification for fund release, for which I plan to avoid them.  I haven't looked at btc-e much, but I'll take a look at them in the future.

[Garr255]

Never store a large amount of bitcoins on a wallet controlled by anyone you do not exclusively trust.

I advise paper wallets for longer-term storage and the technologically challenged: https://blockchain.info/wallet/paper-tutorial

[aststa]

I prefer non online wallets because then I can control them