Banks Urged To Change Security Policies

Banks Urged To Change Security Policies

The security firm Symantec said that basic security questions, such as asking for a user's mother's maiden name or post code, can be circumvented far too easily and should not be used.



Operators who need to confirm a customer's identity should be seeking more random information, or asking for individual characters from a predefined pass-phrase, thereby mitigating the risk if someone overhears the conversation.

"Confidence in the banking system in the UK is at an all-time low. It is time banks took responsibility for ensuring the security of their customers online and over the phone," concluded Guy Bunker, chief scientist at Symantec.