IS YOUR MESSAGING PLATFORM SECURE?
Digital banking boom.
The Covid-19 pandemic has fast tracked the deployment and uptake of digital banking.
More and more, banking customers are detaching from physical interaction with their banks in favour of online banking services. Good examples are BancABC’s Branch X initiative and NMB Banks’s Virtual Branch which enable customers to receive traditional in-branch services digitally.
With the aim of implementing a successful digital strategy banks find themselves seeking best fit technology partners in a bid to align with customer expectations.
Subsequently, banks are likely to share aspects of their customer data as well as financial information to third parties in order to realise their digital banking goals.
A large component of digital banking involves communications with your customer. Despite the predicted decline of SMS dating as far back as 2013 and the advent of alternative channels such as RCS and WhatsApp, SMS remains to this day the only channel of mobile communication that is guaranteed to be received by any mobile handset anywhere in the world.
SMS platforms come in various shapes and sizes, but despite common perception, are certainly not equal. In today’s digital world, rife with organised online crime, financial institutions should question how secure their messaging platforms really are.
What security measures does your messaging platform provide?
Banks need to ensure that they are keeping their customers’ data secure, not only for data set integrity, but importantly for fraud prevention.
The use of 2 factor authentication (2FA) tools is now standard procedure with final verification codes coming in the form of a one-time-pin (OTP) delivered traditionally over SMS and email.
Deploying 2FA requires integration with a mobile messaging vendor and just like any technology that a banking institute deploys, the bank needs to question what security measures are provided. At Gikko Mobile Messaging, all our communication platforms provide the highest level of security being ISO certified and PCI DSS compliant.
Thanks to our technology partner, Infobip, customers of Gikko receive ISO 9001, ISO 27001 & ISO 27002 and PCI DSS certifications.
Clients using Gikko via API will enjoy encryption ensuring security of data in transfer especially when coupled with internationally recognised security protocols such as SSL encryption when using HTTP or SMPP connections.
Why invest in Gikko’s secure omni-channel messaging solutions?
1. Security
Gikko’s offering comes standard with a host of security features some of which have already been mentioned. In addition to this features such as secure data transfer channels, centralised identity access management, monitoring and logging systems, personal data encryption and centralised management of audit logs.
2. Intangible cost of reputation
When your communication doesn’t reach your customers on time or over their preferred channel (for instance SMS or Email) it costs time, money and your business’s reputation. With Gikko’s failover mechanisms in place customers are guaranteed to receive your communications on the next available channel. For example if SMS is sent but handset is
offline, an email will be sent to in it’s place.
3. Keep track of customer behaviour
If you already have digital banking, do you have access to account engagement and an overview of which customers are using the channel and when? Gikko can help your business get a full view of who communicated with you and what their preferences are. Two-way contact centre communication can be enabled in the omni-channel environment which will also help build analytics on how your business is engaging across the different channels with the aim to improve on your customer journey mapping.
Enhancing customer experience
Enhancing customer experience on all levels is important but taking the risk of deploying security- poor messaging platforms will ultimately be at the cost of their (and your) financial security.
It therefore makes most sense for any financial institution to invest its resources as wisely as possible; in proven, globally security compliant solutions. Price should not be a guiding factor on your customer’s data security.
At Gikko Mobile Messaging we are proud to provide communication channels and messaging platform that meets international security requirements and ensures only the best standards for your business.
Farai Chando – Business Development and Key Account Manager at Gikko Mobile Messaging
+263775 005 875
