How to Ensure Online Payment Safe?

Probably, there is not a single active Internet user who has never bought or paid for something online. And each time a person enters their bank card details, they are exposed to potential danger.

one of the more frequent cases of fraud - fake website pages. For example, a potential client wants to purchase an electronic policy. A search returned him with a fake page. The user selects the service and fills in the payment details. All card data immediately go to the fraudster, who at the same time enters them on another real resource, but intended, for example, for transferring funds or replenishing communication services. The user also transfers the verification code to the fraudster, but as a result, the money ends up in the latter's pocket. This type of scam is called phishing. It and many other types of scams can be avoided by constantly paying attention to the details and following the algorithm described below.

Not only cardholders are interested in the security of online transactions, but also banks, online stores, and payment systems, which are developing ever new, more advanced, and at the same time expensive means of securing online payments and protecting against fraudsters. All participants in the transaction risk their money, and stores, banks, and systems also risk their reputation.

Who's in Charge Here?

There are several parties involved in each payment process. One side is the cardholder, the individual performing the transaction. The other side is an online store or any other marketplace that offers a product or service. Between them are the issuing bank and the acquiring bank. The first one is the one who issued the card to you, in whose account there is money. The second is the bank that performs this financial transaction. In some cases, the same bank may play the role of issuer and acquirer. The last, but no less important, participants in the transaction are international payment systems and service providers - they process the transaction.

When you make a purchase in the online store and click the "Pay" button, you are taken to the page of the payment form to fill in the required data. Further, the payment system (service provider) transfers all your data to the acquiring bank, which serves this online store. The acquiring bank, in turn, transmits the information to the issuing bank that issued and issued the card to you. The latter checks information about you, about the card, the availability of free funds on it, sometimes requesting the buyer's authorization using 3-D Secure technology, which we will discuss in detail below. After that, he allows (or does not allow) the operation, transfers the data to the payment system, the payment system to the store, and the buyer receives a notification that the operation has been completed.

Who is Responsible for Security?

Everyone who takes part in it is responsible for the security of the Internet operation. Responsible banks, online stores, payment systems are constantly improving, inventing new ways to protect yourself and your client from possible threats. Today there are a number of protocols and rules that you, as direct participants in any transaction, need to know and remember every time you make an online payment.

Protocol SSL - Secure Socked Layer. It allows you to securely transfer encrypted information from user to server. Sites that use SSL transmit encrypted data over HTTPS, which can be decrypted using a special secret key. This distinguishes them from unsecured sites that use plain HTTP.

Standards PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). These information security standards, developed by international payment systems, protect bank card data. Any company that plans to make online payments must comply with PCI DSS standards. For example, the international payment system Visa since 2006 obliges everyone who uses it to undergo an annual check for compliance with these standards.

3- D Secure technology. An important step of protection is real-time verification of the cardholder's identity, which is enabled by the issuing bank. Usually, such a check is carried out using SMS. After entering the card number, its owner is redirected to the server of his issuing bank. Usually, the bank sends the buyer an SMS with a secret code as confirmation. By entering the code you received, you confirm your identity, after which the bank authorizes the transaction. For example, the MasterCard system uses the MasterCard Securecode system when confirming every online payment.

The payment system authorizes and identifies the buyer. The largest systems such as PayPal or Apple Pay authorize and identify the client themselves. The client does not have to re-enter payment information every time - this reduces the risk of leaking information about a bank card.

What to Do?

Having considered and studied all the security measures that online stores, banks, and payment systems take, develop your own algorithm of actions. Other participants in the operation take increased security measures, but the user himself should not violate them, bypass, or neglect them. Otherwise, all attempts to secure you will be absolutely useless.

A responsible approach to transactions over the Internet, develop the minimum skills to ensure online security - these are the main elements of modern financial literacy, which should be observed by all Internet users.

• Connect internet bank and SMS notification. This will allow you to track transactions in real-time.
• Don't use suspicious sites. The secure site address must start with https: //. Also next to the address bar there should be an icon in the form of a closed lock. These signs will indicate that you are dealing with a responsible seller and your data will be encrypted.
• Use 3-D Secure - authorization of payment by SMS, while paying attention to the purpose of the payment, which comes in SMS from the bank along with the verification code.
• Look for the inscription Verified by Visa or MasterCard Securecode on the website - depending on which payment system you use. Sites that host such logos will comply with PCI DSS standards and/or use 3-D Secure technology.
• Open a separate card for online payments and do not store significant cash balances on it.
• Do not share your bank card details with other people: neither bank employees nor employees of online stores.
• If the online store for any reason makes you suspicious, use payment systems Apple Pay, PayPal, or others. In this case, you will not need to share your bank card details.
• Make purchases from devices with antivirus protection installed. The iOS operating system (all Apple devices) does not require special antivirus software. Each new update contains built-in antiviruses, so you need to update all your gadgets on time. For the Android operating system, there are the most popular antivirus programs that you can download yourself from Google Play. These are CM Security AntiVirus & AppLock, Kaspersky Internet Security, McAfee Security & Antivirus Free, etc.
• Anti-fraud systems. This literally translates to "anti-fraudulent". These are mediums that assess online financial transactions and are able to detect questionable ones. They can prevent money from being debited if fraud is suspected. Each transaction passing through the platform is analyzed, after which a recommendation is given to reject or apply an additional check.
• Anti-fraud systems can operate according to different parameters: limits on transactions from one IP address, restrictions on the amount, time, or a number of purchases, as well as a constantly changing algorithm, assessment of customer behavior in the payment process, transactions based on statistics, etc. The system evaluates operations and identifies abnormal and suspicious. Modern antifraud is capable of identifying a fraudster with the maximum degree of probability or defining buyers' transactions as trusted and not performing additional authorization of payment via SMS. This will certainly increase customer experience and promote online stores.