Category: Mobile Security

Banking card mobile security tech experiments launched at Lloyds

| July 10, 2015

It may soon be possible for customers of Lloyds Bank to use their contactless card to authorize smartphone transactions.

Customers of Lloyds Bank who have both a contactless debit card and who have an NFC technology enabled device may soon be able to combine the two in order to enhance the mobile security of the banking app so that they can authenticate their identity.

The authentication tech has been nicknamed “tap to bank” and the pilot program involves 125 people.

The participants in the mobile security experiment will replace the current authentication method that uses call to mobile, with a quick tap of the contactless debit card against the smartphone. According to Lloyds Bank, this type of authentication feature could one day be broadened to complete other types of task, as well, such as for the verification of new payments.

It is clear that this new mobile security technology is only at the very beginning of its use by the bank.

Mobile Security - Lloyds BankAccording to Marc Lien, the Lloyds Bank director of innovation and digital development, “With the widespread take up of contactless cards and most new smartphones now having NFC technology, this tap to bank trial is developing enhancements to banking processes that many people could benefit from.”

The bank is also currently working to replace the automated authorization phone calls that are currently used for the confirmation of certain transactions completed over desktop, as well. In that case, the user can verify requests by logging into the mobile banking app.

That process will be available to individuals who are setting up repeat orders, who are establishing new beneficiaries, who will be making an international payment, or who will be resetting their passwords by way of Internet Banking over a laptop or desktop computer.

Lloyds has explained that these new methods of authentication by way of mobile security technology makes the process considerably faster and more convenient than the automated phone call. Its current estimates are that the entire process could now be done in under 20 seconds, when compared to the lengthier method using the automated calls. Mobile banking is becoming increasingly important among the bank’s customers and is more than likely a driving factor behind this experiment.

Mobile security features of BBM Messenger upgraded

| July 2, 2015

Blackberry’s latest update to its popular app has been designed to boost its privacy level.

BlackBerry has recently announced that the latest update to the BBM Messenger, across the versions for BB10, iOS, and Android devices, has been launched in order to help to enhance the mobile security level that will protect the privacy of the users.

A new feature has become a central part of the update to the smartphone app, specifically aimed at privacy.

The company has decided to add the additional security feature as a part of the premium components of the app. This mobile security addition can be purchased for a monthly or annual subscription fee. It provides BBM Messenger users with access to a range of features that will include the ability to send a timed message that will self destruct once it has been read, as well as the opportunity to stop their sender details from being revealed on the interface.

Among the more appealing of these mobile security features for BBM Messenger is to retract a mistakenly sent message.

Mobile Security - Blackberry BBM Apps UpgradedThis would mean that if a message was sent to the wrong recipient, by accident, or if the mobile app user changes his or her mind about the message that was sent, it is possible to retract it as long as the recipient has not yet seen it.

The users of the free BBM Messenger service won’t be without the additional mobile privacy features. However, theirs will be limited when compared to the ones that will be offered with the premium subscription. For instance, people who are using the free app will still be able to send timed messages that will self destruct.

However, they will not have access to the additional feature that allows them to keep their user details a secret from those with whom they are communicating. Furthermore, it continues to allow recipients to take screenshots that could be saved as evidence, potentially negating the benefit of the self destructing timed messages.

The retracted messages are also a mobile security feature that will be saved exclusively for those who will be using the service through a paid subscription.