Do I need virus protection for my iPad if I use it for my banking

I'm not aware of any viruses that have been written for the iOS operating system, nor of any anti-virus apps for the iPad - the closest app that I'm aware of is VirusBarrier which is designed to stop the potential transfer of viruses/malware back to your computer from the iPad from PDFs etc when you sync to it (so they don't affect the iPad itself), but I haven't heard of any viruses on the iPad itself.

In terms of banking on the iPad, does your bank have their own app in the app store ?

Otherwise I would say don't log on to the bank when you are using a public non-protected network e.g. I wouldn't use a banking site if I was in a coffee shop etc.

As KP says, there are no iOS viruses, mostly due to the inability to run code downloaded from anywhere other than the App Store. Nothing to fear there.

However, note that you need to be cautious about online banking for other reasons. If you are on a 3G (cellular data) network, you're probably okay, as it would take some pretty specialized equipment to snoop on your 3G signal. On wifi, you've got to be very careful. I can, with my MacBook Pro and some free software, watch every packet that your computer sends and receives if I'm on the same wireless network as you. But only on an unencrypted network (one that does not require a password). So you shouldn't do online banking on any open networks, like in a coffee shop or at a hotel. Even though the transactions with your bank are typically encrypted, it's possible for a bug in the bank's code to allow someone to capture the session information that tells the bank site that you're logged in. If that happens, the hacker can use that information to make the bank site think they are logged in as you.

Of course, it's quite unlikely that you'll just happen to sit down in a coffee shop where a hacker is hanging out, and that your bank's site has this kind of insecurity... But it's best to be safe. Always do your banking on a wireless network that requires a password.

KP and Thomas are right. Also, if you are using the browser for that purpose make sure the the web address has a secure connection i.e. https://your_bank_address.