Security: hidden tricks to protect banking apps – 01/10/2024 – Tech

On average, Brazil has 2,738 cell phones stolen or stolen per day, shows the latest Brazilian Public Security Yearbook referring to data from 2022. In the year, 999,223 devices were taken from victims, which makes the security of finance applications something to be considered taken into account to prevent criminals from hacking into bank accounts.

Globally, a survey by Appdome —an American cybersecurity company— in 12 countries, including Brazil, shows that 82% of cell phone owners are dissatisfied with the security of banking applications.

UOL listed the top five tricks to prevent hacking of banking apps and avoid headaches after cell phone theft or theft.

The tips were raised with the help of IDCiber (Cyber ​​Defense Institute), Ibsec (Brazilian Cybersecurity Institute) and the cybersecurity companies Akamai and Appdome.

See five tricks to protect the banking app

Screen lock password

Maybe you already implement this on your cell phone. The so-called lock screen, which is when the cell phone is in suspended mode when not in use, is only reactivated after entering a password. The recommendation is to choose the numeric or alphanumeric code, and not the “pattern”, which are the passwords that connect dots on the screen.

How to configure on Android

• Go to Settings and then tap Security
• The next step is to click on Screen Lock
• If you have already configured a screen lock, but without a password, simply go to enter some of the options PIN (alphanumeric password), pattern (password that connects points on the screen) or password (numeric password)
• Android will ask to confirm passwords. Then just follow the on-screen instructions

How to configure on iPhone

• Search for Settings on your device
• On an iPhone with Face ID, tap Face ID & Passcode
• On an iPhone with a Home button, tap Touch and Passcode
• The next step is to Activate Code or Change Code (if you already have one)
• Then click Code Options. iOS provides two password formats: custom number or custom alphanumeric.

Secure Folder

Another way to protect the applications on your device is to leave them with an extra password. This is possible by creating a “secure folder”, protected by a password. This tool is available for iOS, but not on all Android models. Samsung, the best-selling brand in Brazil, has the trick.

How to create the folder on iPhone

• Go to Settings, then Usage time
• Then tap App Limit and Add Limit
• Choose All (Apps and Categories) or just choose to lock the app you want
• Click Next and then Add
• Return to the Screen Time page and tap the Use Code option to set the password for the created folder. It is recommended that it be different from your lock screen password.

How to create the folder on Samsung

• Look for Settings and select Biometrics and Security
• Then go to Secure Folder and log in to your Samsung account. If you don’t have one, create a registration
• The next step is to set the type of password for Secure Folder: pattern, PIN or password
• Once this is done, a Secure Folder shortcut will be created on the device’s home screen.
• To add apps to it, click on the folder and then on the + symbol. So just select the applications you want to include in it
• However, to be safe, you need to delete the copy of the app taken to the Secure Folder from the home screen so that the criminal cannot access it.

Hide the bank app

It is possible to install a banking application, but not make it visible on the home screen or app screen, and can only be found through the device’s search bar.

How to do this on Android

• Go to Settings and then Home Screen
• Then click Hide Applications
• The system will show all installed apps. Just select which one you want to disappear from your home screen.

How to do this on iOS

• Look for Settings and then Siri and Search
• A list of applications will appear. Select the app you want and disable the Show app in search option
• When you deselect the option, the application will only appear in the library. Just search for it by typing its name to access it.

Block via IMEI

When purchasing a cell phone or if you don’t yet know your IMEI number, enter *#06#* in the application you use to make phone calls.

After dialing, an IMEI code will appear, a kind of “CPF” for each smartphone. The number is unique. Keep this code somewhere safe and easily accessible.

With it, you can contact the operator to block you from accessing mobile internet networks and making calls, making it even more difficult to complete the crime of bank fraud.

“Call your operator and block your line as soon as possible. The safest thing is to use the IMEI for this”, says Julio Concilio, from Ibsec (Brazilian Institute of Cybersecurity).

Clean the data

Even if your device is protected by passwords, it is possible to make life even more difficult for cybercriminals by wiping the data on it remotely. This, however, is only recommended if you are sure that you will no longer recover your smartphone, as data deletion includes passwords, photos, videos, files, documents and all apps installed on it.

How to do it on iOS

• Log in to your account on iCloud.com and click Find Devices
• Select the device linked to your account after clicking All Devices
• The next step is to choose the Erase this device option and follow the on-screen instructions
• According to Apple, “if you need to enter your phone number or a message, you can indicate that your device is lost or how to contact you.”

How to do it on Android

• Access the website android.com/find with your Google account
• When logging in, devices associated with your account will appear. Select the device on which you want to delete data
• Tap Turn on lock and wipe and then Wipe device

‘There is no infallible system’

For Hélder Falcão, industry manager for Latin America at Akamai, a digital security platform, in fact, “there is no infallible cybersecurity method”. Even so, the guidance is to adopt measures that make it difficult or even make the criminal give up hacking the account via the application.

“No system is completely foolproof. Devices and applications may face vulnerabilities or sophisticated attacks. Still, the most effective approach is to implement multiple layers of security, continue education on secure practices, and maintain good cybersecurity practices, recognizing that no method is completely immune to risks”, he states.

Julio Concilio, from Ibsec, points out that in case of attending large events, the recommendation is to take another cell phone and leave the smartphone with all the apps, photos and files at home.

“There is no infallible method, unfortunately all security has flaws, what we save is time by properly configuring our cell phones”, says Concilio.

“Nowadays it has become common for people to seek support on a second cell phone to protect themselves. The idea is to have a cell phone at home with banking applications and another for walking on the street”, he adds.