Kaspersky: Nearly 4 in 10 (43%) European internet users believe that visiting a bank counter and making physical transactions at the teller are safer than online transactions, according to a survey by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International. Despite these fears, most still make some of their payments online, but many do not take even basic security measures, putting their money and the banks’ reputations at risk.
The research results show that:
A significant number of users (44% in Europe) feel vulnerable when transacting online, with half of them, around 49%, reporting that they consider offline payments more reliable than online ones. At the same time, 43% of the total number of internet users consider physical banking transactions safer than online ones.
One of the easiest ways for criminals to gain access to online banking accounts is to impersonate the owner. This can be done by stealing account information, with the scammers either creating phishing pages where users unwittingly enter their login details, or using a banking Trojan when users log in to legitimate bank websites.
However, despite the fears, the majority of Internet users make online payments. 78% of European Internet users use desktop or laptop computers for online payments, 27% use tablets and 29% use smartphones. Both traditional computers and mobile devices are vulnerable to these attacks.
“Consumers seem to prefer traditional banking transactions because they fear falling victim to online fraud. This may hinder the adoption of online and mobile payment systems, which also have high profit margins. This will force banks to invest more of their resources in branches, which typically have low profit margins.
At the same time, among those who have adopted online and mobile payments, there is a persistent security concern, as they may be putting their money – and a bank’s reputation – at unnecessary risk.
"That's why it's crucial for banks to invest in technology to ensure a safe online environment for their customers. This will give customers who prefer to visit banks in person peace of mind knowing that online and mobile banking transactions are safe. It will also reduce the risk for the most careless customers, who could lose significant financial assets," said Ross Hogan, Global Head of the Fraud Prevention Division at Kaspersky Lab.
Source: iguru
