Digital organisations admit difficulties in detecting online fraud

Banks and payment organisations are finding it difficult to manage online fraud in today’s connected and complex technological landscape, according to a survey by Kaspersky Lab in collaboration with B2B International.

The study further highlighted that over 38 percent of organisations admit that it is becoming increasingly hard to tell a fraudulent transaction from a genuine one.

As companies become increasingly immersed in digital environments, ensuring business continuity and protecting themselves against cyber threats will be crucial. As the number of online transactions increases, so does the level of online fraud, with 50 percent of financial services organisations surveyed believing online financial fraud is increasing. It is clear that financial institutions need to make every effort to protect their business and customers from cybercriminals.

The survey showed that 41 percent of businesses have implemented an in-house cybersecurity solution and 45 percent rely on a third-party solution from their bank, to mitigate the risks. Still, 46 percent of companies have either only partially implemented a solution against financial fraud, or have not implemented one at all. Among financial organisations, only 57 percent have a dedicated anti-fraud security solution.

According to these findings, about half of the organisations operating in the electronic payments landscape use non-specialist solutions, which, according to statistics, are unreliable against fraud, and show a high percentage of false positives.

“Considering the aggressive competition in today’s fierce financial services market and the extreme disruption from non-traditional providers, a trusted relationship between customers and their financial institutions is a decisive factor for the long-term prosperity of any company. The interdependence of the digital relationships between all financial services market players also means that if any organisation in the value chain experiences a digital service issue (whether due to fraud, breach, cyber-attack, etc.), the damage can quickly spread to the other organisations in that digital financial service value chain,” said Ross Hogan, Head of Fraud Prevention, Kaspersky Lab.

The study underlined that the incorrect use of security systems can also lead to transactions being blocked. It should also be noted that the deviation of payments may lead to a loss of customers and, ultimately, profits. This is therefore a critical issue for every business. Fraud itself is not only problem, financial institutions need to reduce the number of false alarms in their systems, to provide the best customer service possible.

“As the already high volume of customer demand for online transactions continues to increase, all companies (its customer facing digital platforms, infrastructure, data, and employees) should be secure, convenient, and prepared. It’s crucial, therefore, to use specialised fraud prevention solutions that will provide customers with the most convenient and safest service possible,” said Hogan.

Kaspersky Lab’s experts recommend that banks and payment services use comprehensive online fraud protection methods to protect their clients at several levels.

Hogan noted that products such as Kaspersky Fraud Prevention platform, which includes threat control tools installed on client devices, as well as the server component located within the bank’s information infrastructure. It provides multi-layered protection for online and mobile banking.