In the News
In PayPal will work inside Gmail, YouTube, and more, thanks to Google Pay, Stefan Etienne examines how PayPal will now be a form of payment on an increased number of apps and in store purchases on the platform Google Play. Etienne explains that this partnership between PayPal and Google will profit both companies while providing additional service to a wide range of customers.
Our Take
Few types of data get more attention in the security world than financial information–even concerns about the loss of personal information are often rooted in the threat of identity theft and financial fraud rather than general concerns over privacy. One of the primary means by which we can protect our finances online is not entering this information into every site with which we do business. Services like PayPal allow us to store the information in one location, add additional layers of security to that location (such as multi-factor authentication), and direct all e-commerce transactions through that secure payment provider without widely sharing our debit card numbers or account information. The more providers, like Google, who allow payment via these services, the better.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your financial information?
- Only purchase goods and services from well-known sources:
- Check the URL for trustworthiness: <business name>.com is a far better indicator of trustworthiness than all-sales-all-the-time-click-here-3189.com
- Look out for pop-ups or advertisements, as most major retailers do not need to serve pay-per-click ads for revenue on their site
- Research the reputation of new retailers online before making purchases
- Utilize a form of secure payment at checkout wherever possible, rather than entering your card numbers directly
- Track your finances closely to monitor for suspicious activity