Over two-thirds of companies prefer to bank with a provider who has a solid security reputation, according to a Kaspersky Lab survey. Those banks that make security a priority and take every effort to ensure measures are in place to safeguard against online financial fraud will have an advantage, when it comes to retaining existing customers and reaching new ones.
The research found that nine out of ten (94%) companies now use online banking in their day-to-day operations. The ability to use banking services without needing to physically visit a bank gives a lot of advantages, including improving response times and reducing operational costs.
However, this convenience can also come at a cost, putting companies at risk of online financial fraud and giving cybercriminals yet another way to compromise corporate IT infrastructure.
Just under two thirds (63%) of the companies questioned by Kaspersky Lab understand these risks and the importance of implementing all possible security measures to protect their critical data.
When it comes to protecting their information, security plays a key role for companies when choosing who to bank with. Almost three quarters (72%) of companies questioned stated that they select banks due to their security reputation and almost nine out of 10 (88%) are willing to pay extra in order to work with a bank that has a strong security policy and a good security track record.
Forty-three percent of companies also said that they themselves need to take improved measures, in order to protect online financial transactions made with their banks.
To ensure they provide the best possible service to business customers and give the necessary peace of mind that data and transactions are safe, a comprehensive security approach is vital.
“In today’s technology driven environment, banks operate more like IT companies than financial institutions," says Kaspersky Lab Global Head of Fraud Prevention Ross Hogan.
"All of their interactions with customers and partners are computerized and information is shared and stored online. However, despite the advantages, it makes banking processes vulnerable and any compromise to the IT infrastructure can lead to huge data loss, or even worse, severe financial and reputational damage. It is therefore imperative that banks also think more like IT companies and make security a priority when developing and delivering their services.”