Tag: mobile commerce security

Mobile payments face serious risks

| July 17, 2013

Riskskill draws attention to risks in mobile payments field

Mobile payments have become quite popular with consumers, which also mean that they have become a bigger focus for businesses looking to engage with tech-savvy people. Many consumers praise mobile payments because of their simplistic and convenient nature. The mobile commerce field is, however, rife with risks that often go completely unnoticed by consumers. Riskskill, a leading corporate risk consultancy firm, has been working to raise awareness of the risks that exist in the mobile commerce space for some time and suggests that companies face a wide range of dangers when adopting mobile payments.

Study highlights problems with rapid pace of technological progress

Riskskill has released a new study concerning the risks that exist in the mobile payments sector. The study highlights several areas wherein these risks are most pronounced. One of these sectors concerns the rate at which technology progresses and the rate at which mobile commerce itself is growing. The firm suggests that mobile payments will reach $1 trillion in global transactions by 2015 and this growth could outpace the availability of reliable infrastructure. Exhausting existing infrastructure could inhibit future growth and make mobile payments significantly less efficient than they currently are.

Mobile payments may outpace standards and regulations

Mobile Payments Security ConcernsAnother field of concern has to do with the current standards that are in place to regulate mobile payments. These standards tend to vary from country to country and are meant to ensure that consumers are protected while participating in mobile commerce. The problem, however, is that these standards may soon become outdated due to the rapid growth of mobile commerce itself. The rapid evolution of technology is putting further strain on these standards, but many countries have yet to adapt to the changing needs of the mobile commerce space. Inadequate standards could leave consumers open to exploitation.

Hackers target mobile commerce

Consumers are also faced with the risks associated with hacking. Mobile payments have become a very attractive subject to malicious groups that wish to exploit financial information. These risks do not disappear simply because they attract relatively little attention and Riskskill believes that hacking could be a significant problem that has yet to be fully addressed.

Mobile payments meet challenges in Ghana

| June 26, 2013

Security could derail mobile payments in Ghana

Mobile payments have been gaining strong attention all over the world. As consumers become more heavily reliant on their smartphones and tablets, their interest in a cashless society grows. Such is the case in the African country of Ghana. More consumers in Ghana are gaining access to mobile technology and the government has been fostering a dream of a cashless economy that it has expected to see come to fruition in the near future. Mobile payments make a home in a perilous landscape, however, and the digital world contains threats that could derail Ghana’s dream economy.

Mobile security systems are still very lax

As mobile payments become more common in Ghana, so too does hacking and fraud. Internet fraud is quite active in Ghana; somewhat more so than in other African countries. Government officials have not yet found a way to curb this fraud or mitigate the damage that can be caused by hackers and these threats have stymied the growth of mobile commerce throughout the country. Major security issues may indeed prevent Ghana from attaining its dream of a cashless economy.

Mobile Payments GhanaDeveloping a cashless economy proves challenging

In order to develop a new and comprehensive monetary system, Ghana will have to find a way to make mobile payments secure. This is no small task, as security remains a major problem even for countries like the U.S. and China when it comes to the issue of mobile payments. Even large companies like Google and Samsung have yet to find a way to make mobile payments completely secure. The threats that exist in the digital space have not yet become enough to deter consumers, however, many of whom are willing to participate in mobile commerce regardless of the risks they face.

Cash holds an important place with many businesses

Security issues are not the only challenge that Ghana faces in its hopes of establishing a cashless economy. There is currently a large volume of currency in circulation throughout the country, which makes the transition away from cash somewhat difficult. Moreover, physical currency plays a big role in many aspects of business in the country. Some small businesses will only accept payments that are made with cash and refuse to embrace mobile payments in any way whatsoever.