Tech Talk: A risky crypto warning, BaaS benefits, the SMB market race, and more!
- Banks beware: risky crypto business
- Bring on BaaS and more deposits!
- Banks lagging behind in the SMB banking market
- Digital wallets could cost banks revenue
- Consumers banking on mobile deposits
- Banking for the neuro-challenged
- Keeping up with the Gen Zs
- Hackers launch fake bank domains
- Criminals driven to online heists in Denmark
- Spam, Scams & Breaches
- Updates, Patches & Alerts
- and on the lighter side...
Banks beware: risky crypto business
2022 was not a good year for crypto-asset firms and the crypto industry as a whole. Recent failures of several large crypto-asset companies have drawn the attention of lawmakers and regulators who are warning banks about the risks of crypto-assets. The Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC issued a joint statement this week highlighting the growing risks of crypto-asset-related activities and exposures to banks and putting banks on notice that the agencies are assessing how crypto-related activities can be conducted.
PYMNTS.com has the details.
Bring on BaaS and more deposits!
A growing trend we can expect to see more of in 2023 is Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), particularly for financial institutions who want in on the small business movement to digital banking. Embedded banking and the rise of BaaS is gaining more traction with firms across all industries, especially the smaller firms that power the U.S. economy that need to run their businesses more efficiently and increase sales. For banks, the advantages of BaaS are access to new markets and an increase in direct deposits.
PYMNTS.com has the details.
Banks lagging behind in the SMB banking market
While the adoption of emerging technologies has accelerated at traditional banks, the banking industry, in general, has been slow to offer digital credit products and other services that cater to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Taking advantage of the industry's missed opportunities, fintechs and neobanks have been quick to target this segment. A recent study from banking technology provider Amount and Cornerstone Advisors examined how banks are losing ground to fintechs in the SMB market and how they can catch up.
ATM Marketplace has the details.
Digital wallets could cost banks revenue
As we ring in the New Year, the popular idiom "out with the old, in with the new" applies to payments trends we're seeing going into 2023. Next-generation payment methods, i.e., account-to-account transfers and digital wallets, are replacing credit cards and other traditional payments. According to a recent Accenture report, titled "Payments Get Personal," the migration to digital wallets could cost banks up to $31.4 billion in revenue in the next four years.
The Financial Brand has the details.
Consumers banking on mobile deposits
The pandemic has driven consumers to online and mobile channels to interact with their banks. Experts have predicted that many of those consumers will not go back to in-branch banking. According to a recent report, nearly 88% of Americans accessed their checking accounts using a smartphone or tablet during 2022. The report found that 90% of those consumers trust their financial institution security/fraud capabilities enough to make mobile deposits. The key for banks to keep that trust is providing the latest security technology.
Biometric Update has the details.
Banking for the neuro-challenged
It is estimated that around 15% to 20% of the U.S. population is considered to be autistic or neurodivergent – which means that their brain works differently from the average or "neurotypical" person. Navigating through every day life and community spaces, including banks, can be challenging and overwhelming for these individuals. Huntington National Bank has partnered with Magnusmode on a solution that offers digital step-by-step visual guides to help autistic neurodiverse customers navigate banking apps.
ATM Markeplace has the details.
Keeping up with the Gen Zers
Traditional consumer behavior, spending habits, and banking have evolved exponentially in the past two years – due in part by the pandemic and the resulting economic slump. From "Buy Now Pay Later" options to the use of personal finance apps, today's tech-savvy Generation Zers (who make up 68.6 million of the U.S. population) are looking for different ways to earn, spend, and save money. Banks with legacy systems will need to embrace modern technologies to meet the demands of these younger customers who look to technological innovations that meet their needs.
CXO Today has the details.
Hackers launch fake bank domains
If it looks like a bank website, and acts like a bank website, that doesn't always mean it is a bank website. A North Korean hacking group that has been blamed for numerous cyberattacks targeting banks, cryptocurrency firms, and other financial institutions created roughly 70 fake domains disguised as well-known banks and venture capital firms to launch phishing attacks aimed at startup firms and their employees.
Security Week has the details.
Criminals driven to online heists in Denmark
Banks in Denmark have found one surefire way to prevent bank robberies. With the exponential rise in Danes choosing cards and smartphones over cash for payments, cash transactions and banks with cash holdings in the country have become virtually obsolete. There was not a single bank robbery reported in Denmark in 2022. This, of course, is driving greedy criminals to online channels to pilfer their illicit gains.
US News has the details.
Spams, Scams, and Breaches
- Sophos: Ukraine busts 40 in fake bank call-centre raid
- Help Net Security: Ransomware: The security debt collector
- Tech Monitor: Stolen financial data used to deploy banking trojan
- Help Net Security: Attackers never let a critical vulnerability go to waste
- Help Net Security: Hyperconnectivity extends fraudsters’ business hours
- Finextra: Godfather Android Trojan targets hundreds of banking and crypto apps
- Bleeping Computer: Hackers abuse Windows error reporting tool to deploy malware
- Arts Technica: Hundreds of WordPress sites infected by recently discovered backdoor
- Help Net Security: Cybercriminals create new methods to evade legacy DDoS defenses
- Cybersecurity Dive: Cybersecurity trends in 2023 spotlight business security vulnerabilities
Updates, Patches, and Alerts...
- US-CERT: Current Activity
- NetworkWorld: 9 steps to protecting backup servers from ransomware
- Bleeping Computer: Netgear warns users to patch recently fixed WiFi router bug
- Security Week: Android's first security updates for 2023: 60 vulnerabilities patched
- Bleeping Computer: Zoho urges admins to patch critical ManageEngine bug immediately
See what other current hot cyber and technology topics affecting financial institutions BOL users are discussing in the Technology Forum.
And on the lighter side...
Criminals can use deepfakes to bypass identity verification services and create accounts in banks and financial institutions. Take a look at just how real these deepfakes can appear.