Digital Financial institutions are the main targets of hackers. Banks store huge amounts of money, which offer different attacking channels for cybercriminals. Attacks can occur in any banking process, especially customer transactions. Online financial institutions allow various transactions to varying platforms, including trading websites.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the process of protecting digital information from malicious attacks or unauthorized persons. A good cybersecurity strategy provides security against attacks aimed to access, delete, alter, destroy or extort an organization. Furthermore, it prevents threats designed to disrupt or disable a system from performing its intended purposes.
Why do we need Cybersecurity in Digital Banking?
The main objective of cybersecurity in online financial institutions is protecting customer assets. As more people prefer cashless transactions, more activities have to be completed online. People use digital options such as credit and debit cards in transactions, which requires protection from outside threats. Cybercrimes don’t only affect customers but also banks in attempts to recover lost data.
In recent years, we have seen banks spending a lot of money to recover lost information. Strong protection is necessary for online financial institutions since breaches in the system might lead to a loss of confidence from customers. Hackers can easily breach user data if the institution has not taken crucial steps to be protected from cybercriminals.
Securing Banking Apps
Customers can carry out online banking transactions either through banking websites or mobile applications. These two models are prone to cyberattacks calling for organizations to take extra precautionary measures. Mobile applications are usually insecure due to the use of standards-based APIs that are open source. Open-source technologies create loopholes for cybercriminals.
Despite the huge threats, online banks use robust security measures in mobile apps to prevent data loss or security breaches. Possible solutions include continuous app scanning for vulnerability analysis, investing in AI systems to improve security. Users also play a major role in terms of security by using a secure internet connection.
Transacting on Trade Websites and Online Casinos
The introduction of online financial institutions has had a huge positive impact on online gaming and trading. Online stores and casinos have grown significantly over the years. However, transactions online outside the banking system open up new ways for cybercriminals. Hackers can use clones of legit websites to siphon money from less informed users.
Webshops and casinos need to implement strong security measures, similar to those in banks, to be prepared for the worst. This type of security allows the safe sharing of customer’s data between the bank and the online service. Can easily transact funds between the two firms without the risk of exposing crucial information.
Threats to Online Banking
Keeping up with security trends, new technologies, and threat awareness can sometimes be difficult. However, this is necessary to protect information. Here are some current cyber threats to digital banking:
Malware
End-user devices such as mobile phones and computers have been used to compromise banking data. A device without proper security can have malware installed. The malware can attack your banking network causing exposure of sensitive information about the user’s login details and transactions.
Spoofing
Spoofing is one of the new methods by cybercriminals to compromise online banking processes. A hacker impersonates a legit online banking website and tricks a user. As the user visits the website, they might enter sensitive data, which the hacker then acquires. This is one of the hardest threats to eliminate.
Data Manipulation
In some cases, hackers are not interested in getting the data but rather change it. Unfortunately, this type of attack has proven difficult to detect. Altered data usually does not appear any different from the real one on the surface. Online banking institutions can incur huge losses in the long run.
Unsecure Third Party Services
For efficient customer service, webshops or online casinos often call in the help of third-party agencies to handle these services for them. If the security of these third-party firms is compromised, then the bank also suffers the risks. Consumers need to be certain that the security of third-party firms is reliable.
Phishing
Phishing is a form of social engineering which relies on human errors. Fraudulent texts and emails which resemble the sources are sent to users who are unaware. When you click links on these messages, sensitive data such as login and credit card information can reach the hacker.
Bottom Line
Should not compromise cybersecurity in online financial institutions. With the increase in digitization among different companies, the banking industry is prone to more attacks from hackers. With this said, online financial institutions need to implement foolproof cybersecurity measures to protect customer’s financial information.
