Simple, effective and not inconvenient: more and more Canadians are leaving their wallets at home and paying directly with their cell phone. Here are some precautions you should take to keep your transactions as secure as possible.
These six tips were given to the Toronto Star by experts.
1-Do not install anything on your mobile phone
You must use your judgment and avoid installing unnecessary applications on your mobile phone, José Fernandez, innovation director at Quebec cybersecurity organization Cybereco, told English-language media.
“If you install an app on your phone that contains a malicious component, that app [pourrait théoriquement] “Exploit a vulnerability in your phone and steal your data,” he said. Think of it as your home: would you invite someone into your home?”
2- Do not conduct transactions over unsecured WiFi
If you’re connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop and want to pay, it’s a good idea to disconnect before making the transaction and use your own network, according to Hasan Cavusoglu, associate professor of information systems use at the University of British Columbia.
“If the transaction is over an unsecured wireless network, there is a small chance that the transaction information could be stolen,” he told the Toronto Star, pointing out that most major digital wallets have “very strong encryption systems.”
3-Do not charge your cell phone in public
We must be vigilant not only in the virtual world, but also in physical places, says José Fernandez, who warns against always charging your cell phone using a cable or a public charging station.
“Unfortunately, the cables we use to charge phones carry not only energy, but also information,” he said, explaining that these could be used to download malware onto the device.
4-Hide your screen from prying eyes
In the same vein, Hasan Cavosoglu advises to hide the screen from prying eyes when unlocking your mobile phone if you use a password and not biometric data to prevent malicious people from being able to unlock the device.
5-Keep track of your monthly purchases
As would ideally be the case with a physical bank card, it is recommended to track purchase history over the last month to ensure fraudulent transactions are identified as quickly as possible, the associate professor emphasized to the Toronto Star.
6- Read the Terms of Use beforehand
While it can be annoying to read the fine print, it’s important to know whether your mobile wallet will impose any “additional expectations” on you.
“For example, if you are told that you should have an additional password on your device, make sure you meet these conditions,” Hasan Cavusoglu told English-language media.
It might also be worth checking with your bank to see if there are any additional fees after making a mobile payment, added Hassan Khan, CEO of Todaq, a Canadian technology company.