How Protected Are You When Making Transactions and Payments Online? Total Security

Home banking and online shopping have become a reality that is an integral part of our lives, especially in this pandemic time. We probably all agree that this novelty, a real revolution, has made our life much more comfortable. Like everything that works via the Internet, however, it is not without risks. 

Of course, already following the basic precautions such as using strong passwords or choosing resellers that are known and whose authenticity and legitimacy are verified is very useful, but it is not always enough. Even those who have implemented multiple layers of security could still experience a data breach and, as the numbers indicate, the risk has increased exponentially as online transactions have spread over time. Platforms that offer online payment services are also subject to risk and are the prime target of cyber attackers who try to make money by stealing login credentials to online accounts or by intercepting payments. 

The Risks of Online Banking

For some years now, banks all over the world have been engaged in the migration of as many online services as possible: the desire is to cancel queues and waits and allow anyone to manage their money from the comfort of their home or smartphone. This process is so accelerated that, shortly, the bank's physical branch will disappear because all banking functions will be available via digital media. 

Faced with this, we must imagine millions of users who will use the Internet for their payments, purchases, transactions. The more the use of these means increases, the greater the need and importance of having safe environments, with very low possibilities of fraud, from which to carry out protected transactions. 

Banking institutions are making great efforts: from multi-factor authentication to the use of biometric data, but user awareness and attention remain a fundamental line of defense. We, therefore, know the most common risks we can run when paying online: 

- phishing attacks

cybercriminals try to deceive unsuspecting users by convincing them to spontaneously give up their financial and banking data, as well as personal data. This type of attack is called phishing (there is also an SMS version called Smishing). Usually, users receive a deceptive email or see pop-ups that direct them to a website apparently the same as the originals of the banking institutions. So users feel safe, think they are browsing the website of their bank, and enter login details to log into their private area. The game is done: that data ends up right on the servers managed by the cyber attackers. 

An example is shown in the photo below: it is a fake page that uses Intesa San Paolo references to steal user data

- identity theft

this type of attack includes all attempts to steal the identity of users using stolen data. This data is used to commit crimes and perform unauthorized activities. 

- keylogger

it is the only attack on this list that involves the use of malware. This malware can be hidden in pirated software, in content downloaded from untrustworthy sites, but also in email attachments: when a keylogger is installed on the system, it records and sends every single keystroke to attackers. The attacker thus intercepts all the login credentials entered, but also private conversations, processing of documents on the PC, etc ...

Don't worry, Protegent360 is by your side thanks to Safe Banking mode

To counter these risks and provide users with a secure payment environment, Protegent360 Total Security offers the Safe Banking feature, specially designed to protect the financial data that comes into play during online banking and shopping. Safe Banking is a real shield that protects the user from potentially risky situations by transferring the entire banking session to a safe environment that protects vital data. 

The browser is launched in a safe environment that prevents 0-day malware from infecting the PC: in this way, banking activities remain isolated from the system and from any risk. It also blocks all software with keystroke logging capabilities so keyloggers can't run, and secure DNS is deployed to prevent hacker attacks. 

Safe banking can also be launched conveniently from the desktop. To know all the details and the step-by-step configuration instructions click here