IT GRC Forum

Mobile banking is on the rise for more reasons than convenience sake. In truth, it’s more secure than traditional online baking.  Accessing your banks mobile website or using your banks mobile application is inherently more secure than using a computer.

Why?

Computers are big targets for thieves. PC’s mostly run on Microsoft’s most hacked operating system, they typically contain a great deal of data, and they are vulnerable to viruses created by criminal hackers. Over the past decade criminals have learned the ins and outs of exploiting online banking using PC’s. In the past 15 years or so, the desktop computer has been hacked in every possible way, making the computer and the data it contains and transmits extremely vulnerable to fraud.

Mobile banking on the other hand is relatively new – the operating systems vary, viruses and other malware aren’t as prevalent and the technologies in handsets themselves vary greatly among manufacturers.

Computers are still the “low hanging fruit” while mobile phones aren’t as attractive due to computers being so vulnerable.

The mobile carriers’ networks are more difficult to hack than your home or local coffee shop’s wireless network. Mobile carrier services like 3G have a much higher level of encryption and aren’t open like broadband internet. Meaning you can’t just jump on someone’s 3G connection in most cases.

With mobile banking there is the added benefit of additional layers of authentication, in which the account holder authorizes various transactions via text message or call backs with an additional code, making mobile banking even more secure.

As mobile banking becomes more popular, investigate it and try for yourself. You will love the convenience and appreciate the security.

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto.