With the everyday rush and to avoid queues, paying bills with cell phones or tablets is increasingly common among Brazilians. The country has the second highest volume of credit card payments, behind the United States only. According to information from the Central Bank, in 2014 over 54% of the bank transactions were carried out through remote access channels. However, making payments with cell phones and tablets also has risks. It is necessary to take precautions with the use of such mobile devices. In the smartphones, nowadays we do basically what we used to do with a common desktop computer. Therefore, the defenses and precautions must be the same.

The security analyst of RNP, Alan Santos, warns us that payments made through cell phones and tablets in an incorrect manner may generate data interception and password theft. “Accessing the internet to make payments through unsecured (without password) wifi networks or in unreliable websites is extremely dangerous. A person with malicious intent may intercept the transaction data and use it in fraud and unauthorized purchases. There is also the risk of infection of the devices. If a malware* is installed in the device, it can, for example, change the information red from a payment slip, thus directing the amount of the payment to other accounts”, he states.

In the analyst’s opinion, the applications installed on the phone must be downloaded from the official sources (Apple Store, Google Play, Windows Phone), for they control all programs part of their series. “It is also necessary to keep the device always up-to-date and have a good antivirus in it, provided that it has been downloaded from the official stores”, he reminds us. He also stresses that it is safer to use the applications than a common browser, which could lead the user to other links with certain kinds of virus. “The client must also create a two-factor authentication. With that option, the user types in an extra code to make transactions after typing in the password, which strengthens security even further”, he concluded.

*A software infiltrated in cell phones or computers in an illegal manner, and which causes damages, changes or theft of information.