As people, technologists and organizations, we have a wealth of technology and connectivity at our fingertips. This has clear benefits for how we live and work, offering greater flexibility, productivity and scalability for businesses. Sadly, cyber-criminals also have great opportunities to strike. And when they do, their actions not only impact the targeted person or organization, but their customers and wider stakeholders too. From gaining access into Microsoft Exchange’s software – leading to the hacked accounts of at least 250,000 organizations – or Acer’s stolen data being ..read more

Often, new technologies are lauded as the death of existing ones. This has been undoubtedly true in some areas. Think audio cassettes and CDs, Betamax and VHS, fax machines and email… and a host of other examples. Sometimes the market and product vendors can influence this decision but, mostly, consumers decide which technologies win based on the value they bring to their everyday lives. Often though, new technologies coexist with, and complement, existing ones. This is very much the case in the payments ecosystem. The advent of mobile payments had many claiming the death of the humble payment ..read more

2022 proved to be an exciting year as the use of biometric technology expanded rapidly. In the payments ecosystem, major commercial banks continued to rollout innovative biometric cards and momentum increased steadily as users experienced the heightened convenience, hygiene and security of contactless biometric payments. Payments security represents only a portion of the growth in biometrics, though. New use cases for secure access solutions fueled innovations, raising consumer awareness and creating further demand. Let’s take a look at some of the trends, developments and players responsible ..read more

Learn more about the biometric payment card user experience directly from a first-hand user. In this episode of On the Pulse, we spoke with Cuong H. Duong, President & CEO of Linxens, who has been using BNP Paribas’ biometric payment card for most of 2022 in a multitude of countries. Discover how seamless the process of receiving, enrolling and activating the card is so you can unlock the full, secure and convenient, potential of contactless ..read more

From the goods and services we buy to the stores we visit, brands make up a big part of a consumer’s decision-making process. And the same is true for our finances. Traditionally, consumer banking has been dominated by long-established, highly recognizable names. This has meant that many consumers adopted a ‘bank-for-life’, but this has changed. Most recently, neo banks and fintechs have made the headlines but retailers, airlines and other non-traditional providers have also carved out their share of financial services. Alongside savings, loans, mortgages, and insurance, many retail brands now ..read more

Imagine never having to create, remember or type a password again. Ever. While it sounds like an idealist’s prediction for the future, this can be a reality now, and can change the way we work. The workplace is powered by technology with PCs, smartphones, dongles, cloud applications and more sitting at the heart of today’s working world. While these applications are essential to productivity, securing the office’s digital and physical spaces against growing threats while accommodating ‘work from anywhere’ (WFA) practices as well as hybrid working models are becoming complex balancing acts. Fle ..read more

The use of cryptocurrencies is growing and diversifying. Once the open secret of a select group of tech-savvy users, many are now being drawn to the transactional freedom of BTC, ETH and a host of other altcoins and tokens. Cryptocurrencies are typically associated with the (decentralized) movement of high volumes and high values of transactions, making it an attractive target for attackers. Work is being done to secure it against unique vulnerabilities like crypto clipping, but questions are still raised about how to securely store this digital value to prevent unauthorised access. Limitation ..read more

Over the years, approaches to supporting employee wellbeing have evolved. Ensuring job satisfaction, mental health support, and flexible and hybrid working are just some of the measures used. But what about ensuring people feel safe and protected? Workers feeling vulnerable poses a significant risk to wellbeing. While security has always been a priority, one of the most recent approaches to employee wellbeing – flexible and hybrid working (or “Working from Anywhere”, WFA) – might have created new risks…   Securing the workplace in 2022 Despite most pandemic restrictions being lifted, WFA ..read more

Despite its reputation for technical innovation, Germany has traditionally been heavily reliant on cash. Cast your mind back to 2016 when, in a bid to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing, the German Finance Minister announced plans to ban the use of cash for purchases over €5,000. The German tabloid, Bild, responded with an open letter ’Hands Off Our Cash’, denouncing the move. Fast-forward to 2022 and the country has experienced a dramatic transformation. 47% of those surveyed by the German Payment Systems Initiative have significantly reduced their use of cash to a point whereby ..read more

In mid-May Fingerprints alongside with Freevolt Technologies was jointly exhibiting at IFSEC 2022, in London, one of the leading security events in Europe. Attendees at the show learnt how the two companies are combining their innovative tech to develop S-Key, Freevolt’s flagship biometric access card. To learn more, Fingerprints’ Marketing Director, Maria Pihlström sat down with Gonzalo de Gisbert, Freevolt’s Head of Product and Business Development. Please can you provide a brief overview of Freevolt and its flagship product, S-Key? Innovation and R&D are a core part of Freevolt’s fabr ..read more