{"id":30195,"date":"2017-11-21T09:04:13","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T01:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/?p=30195"},"modified":"2017-11-21T09:04:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-21T01:04:13","slug":"opinion-12-safety-tips-as-phl-travels-the-risky-road-of-a-cashless-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/2017\/11\/21\/opinion-12-safety-tips-as-phl-travels-the-risky-road-of-a-cashless-society\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION | 12 Safety tips as Phl travels the risky road of a cashless society"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Digital payments and online banking are gaining traction in the Philippines as revealed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/index.kaspersky.com\/country\/philippines-h22016-all-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index<\/a>. The research by Kaspersky Lab done during the second half of 2016 revealed a great majority of Filipinos use the internet for online shopping (90%), for accessing online payment systems and digital wallets (89%), and for online banking (74%).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/BoiLuZ_txdllMS_iR4SDLmBhAyXTPPS5Sd0A-JM4eVpp4OMxRK0i2ynO488-5pM3icOdNryFKoOXBvf8M52L_PRSw5AU2Z2A7s1vT0DPdgJdSk5HR_qwp1aru973vgprOH9CVEko\" width=\"624\" height=\"411\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Based on an online survey of thousands of internet users around the world, the index represents the adult online population according to age and gender in every country of the study. During last year\u2019s second half, the global cybersecurity company surveyed 17,337 internet users from 28 countries around the world including 491 netizens from the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/digitalassets\/c\/website\/marketing\/global\/shared\/global\/media-resources\/documents\/paypal-digital-payments-philippine-media-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">study<\/a> from the digital payment company PayPal also attested that the Philippines is well on its way in achieving a cashless economy as 25% of the surveyed Filipinos are now choosing to transact through the internet. The Alibaba founder and tech giant billionaire Jack Ma even called out for investors to make the country a cashless society during his recent visit to the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">But aside from infrastructure and internet-related hurdles currently hindering the achievement of a fully cashless economy, are Filipino consumers ready for the cybersecurity risks that will come with the bumpy road of transacting money online?<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Citing the same Kaspersky Lab report, Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia\u2019s GM Sylvia Ng highlighted Filipinos\u2019 lack of concern towards their online security and the real threats of cyberattacks.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cData from our very own Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index for the second half of 2016 showed that more than half or 52% of Filipinos are still unconcerned about their online security. Filipinos still do not believe that they can become targets of cybercrimes which is completely false. In fact, 52% of the respondents of the same survey also admitted to being hacked or infected with malware last year,\u201d said Ng.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cBefore Filipinos dive headfirst into the convenience of digital financial transactions, they should remember that cybercriminals are almost always after money. Having your cash available online is like placing a bait to entice them more. It is a must to be aware of the risks and to possess the proper protections to combat the dangers that will come along the road towards becoming a cashless society,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As the country goes full speed towards a cashless economy, Kaspersky Lab would like to suggest the following safety tips that Filipino consumers should consider to prevent hackers from emptying their digital coffers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Don\u2019t assume links are genuine<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">When you need to visit an online bank, a retailer or a payment website, you should manually type in the URL \u2014 instead of clicking on a link. Do not visit websites by clicking on: links in emails; messages on social network sites; messages in chat rooms; banner ads that are on suspicious websites; links sent to you by people you do not know; and beware of fake communications.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Most financial organizations will never send emails asking customers to: send personal data in an email, visit their site for authorization, or enter personal data in pop-up windows.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Check the URL<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">When you\u2019re visiting a web page that needs you to enter confidential data, carefully check that the address of the page that\u2019s shown on the browser corresponds with the page that you were intending to access. If the URL is made up of a random selection of letters and numbers \u2014 or it looks suspicious \u2014 do not input any information.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Use encryption<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Make sure that you use an encrypted connection, whenever you need to input any confidential data. If a connection is secure, the URL will start with the letters \u2018https\u2019 \u2014 in addition, the address bar or the browser\u2019s status bar will display a small icon of a lock.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">When you click on the lock icon, look closely at the information about the SSL authentication certificate that has been issued to the site (you\u2019ll be able to note when the certificate was issued, who issued it and for what period the certificate was issued).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Use your own computer \u2014 and your own Internet connection<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Try to avoid using public computers \u2014 in Internet cafes, airports, clubs, hotels, libraries or other locations \u2014 when you need to access online banking services or online retailers. These public computers may have a variety of spyware programs running on them. If so, these malicious programs could record everything you type on the keyboard \u2014 including your passwords \u2014 and also intercept Internet traffic.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Even if you use your own computer for online transactions, you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/latam.kaspersky.com\/resource-center\/preemptive-safety\/public-wifi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">avoid connecting to the Internet via a public Wi-Fi network<\/a>. On a public Wi-Fi network, there is a risk that the traffic might be intercepted by the network\u2019s administrator or by cybercriminals \u2014 and attacks might be launched with network worms. In fact, Kaspersky Lab offers its Secure Connection App for iOS and Android devices for download in the App Store and Play Store.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Don\u2019t use your main credit card or debit card<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">You might benefit from having a special card that you only use for online purchases. It may be possible to restrict the credit limit for your \u2018online credit card\u2019 or to hold a limited amount of money on your \u2018online debit card\u2019.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Learn from other people\u2019s experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Before making a purchase online, try to read customer reviews about that specific retailer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Be wary of potentially untrustworthy sites<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">It can be a good idea to avoid buying from retailers that have websites that are registered with free hosting services.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Get additional information about the website<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">If you have any doubts or suspicions about a retailer\u2019s website, use a \u2018WhoIs\u2019 IP service in order to find out more information about the domain \u2014 including how long it has been in use and who owns it. Note the period of time for which the domain has been paid.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Eliminate vulnerabilities \u2014 in your operating system and applications<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Always ensure that the operating system \u2014 and all applications \u2014 on your computer and other devices have the latest updates installed. This will help to eliminate operating system and application vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious software programs and attacks. Windows OS products are often targets of vulnerabilities so be sure you&#8217;re secure whether you are running the newest OS , XP, or <a href=\"http:\/\/windows.kaspersky.com\/7-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Windows 7 &#8211; security is essential<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Maintain your firewall<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">For additional security, instead of just running a standard firewall, you may choose to run application and software-based firewalls.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Protect against malware and Internet security risks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/latam.kaspersky.com\/resource-center\/preemptive-safety\/antivirus-choices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">rigorous anti-malware solution<\/a> like Kaspersky Internet Security can protect you against computer viruses, worms, Trojan viruses and more. Some anti-malware products also include special technologies that provide additional layers of security when you\u2019re using online shopping and banking websites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aside from infrastructure and internet-related hurdles currently hindering the achievement of a fully cashless economy, are Filipino consumers ready for the cybersecurity risks that will come with the bumpy road of transacting money online?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,26],"tags":[101,746,54],"class_list":["post-30195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headlines","category-opinions","tag-kaspersky","tag-online-shopping","tag-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30195\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}