Author: Julie Campbell

Visual tool by Cronto to be used to help to protect consumers against Trojan malware infections.

Commerzbank has announced that it is using a new visual mobile security transaction signature tool from Cronto, a firm from the United Kingdom, in order to provide greater protection to its consumers banking online and through smartphones and tablets.

The protection is specifically geared toward preventing infections Trojan viruses.

The mobile security solution applies what is called CrontoSign technology, which is being implemented under the brand name photoTan. This will replace the current iTAN solution that is currently in place and which requires a unique number for the authorization of each transaction. By using photoTAN, instead, users are capable of performing verification of payments through the use of an app or a standalone gadget that uses a TAN authorization code to provide a digital signature for the transaction.

Commerzbank and Cronto have been working together for online and mobile security since 2008.

According to the Cronto chief executive, Igor Drokov, “We have worked closely with Commerzbank who helped to develop the CrontoSign visiual transaction signing technology from innovative ideas to the product ready to serve the needs of millions of banking customers.”

Last month, Juniper Research, the telecoms research firm, released a prediction that the adoption of smartphone banking services would break the one billion mark by 2017. That said, there were also a number of different hurdles to this uptake that were identified. Among them were concerns regarding mobile security following a number of reported events in terms of financial crimes that occurred involving consumers using smartphones and tablets.

This type of mobile security breach has created a lingering threat to the confidence consumers hold in the entire industry. For instance Check Point and Verisafe security venors reported the “Eurograbber” attack in November 2012 which utilized malware in order to break through PC and mobile security in order to target users and carry out transfers that were sent automatically and that ranged from €500 to €250,000.

That malware involved a Zeus Trojan bot attack called Zitmo, which infected smartphones and computers to compromise their mobile security, enabling hackers to receive and steal bank SMS messages to customers.

However, this new mobile security agreement between Commerzbank and Cronto is designed to overcome that type of attack so that it need not concern consumers who bank online.

The Sawyer County Record has just announced the inclusion of quick response barcodes.

The latest addition to the Sawyer County Record will be the use of QR codes within its business directory, in order to help to enhance the paper in yet another step toward the digital world.

These barcodes will be used to bring the print paper together with the virtual universe via smartphones and tablets.

Readers will be able to use their mobile devices in order to scan the QR codes that are printed within the paper in order to access the digital content – primarily websites – that is relevant to their location in the newspaper. Within the Sawyer County Record, they will also provide opportunities for deals, special sales, and other unique features that advertisers would like to offer consumers.

QR codes are very commonly found in print media such as newspapers, magazines, and billboards.

This newspaper will now be selling ads to organizations and businesses who wish to make this type of offer to consumers through a simple scan from mobile devices. This type of mobile marketing is becoming increasingly common as print media works to keep its advertisers and draw new ones who may not otherwise have considered print.

David LaPorte, the Record sales manager explained that “With over 50 percent of web searches coming from a mobile device these days, this code will allow a user to scan it and take them directly to business websites.”

It has recently been estimated that in the United States alone, there are approximately 20 million QR codes scans occurring every day. This figure is only expected to rise as the penetration of smartphones continues throughout the population . This offers a tremendous opportunity to advertisers and to print media that would like to link the real world to the digital universe.

There are considerable benefits to using QR codes in advertising. Not only are they exceptionally inexpensive to create and to use, but they also open up a small amount of ad space into a virtually unlimited amount of available content and information. This can include formats that would never be possible in print, such as video and audio.