Given the growth of the crime of identity theft in Mexico, and of many computer crimes of different characteristics, it is urgent that users of Banking services in Mexico demand that they inform us, to verify what security measures we have in our favor, by depositing our money, our assets with them.
It seems to me that each banking institution must preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information that the Bank manages; incorporating various technological and administrative controls, in accordance with best practices and international standards in order to increase the level of protection of your computer assets.
The figures are alarming, according to the CONDUSEF, every four months more than 800 complaints are filed for identity theft. Mexico is among the ten countries in the world that accumulate the most violations of this nature. Until the third quarter of 2021, 2 million 745 thousand 738 cyber frauds were reported.
It is a fact that for financial institutions in Mexico this has become a serious problem. With the rise of electronic commerce in recent years, the threats of fraud and cybercrime have also grown exponentially. Regardless of whether it is in commercial banking or the Fintech sector, identity theft is becoming more frequent and pernicious.
Some important data, in Mexico only 10% of mobile phone users protect their devices with a security solution. 60% of those in charge of cybersecurity in banking and government institutions consider that the budget assigned to them is not enough. Almost 53% has increased the numbers of digital crimes in Mexico, and no one, neither authorities nor banking institutions, solve this type of crime.
In my personal point of view, one is responsible for requiring banks to invest in these issues, banks must act responsibly, taking care of the shielding of bank accounts, the protection of our personal data, The financial sector needs to strengthen the identification mechanisms incorporated into products and services, going of course through payment programs and multifactor authentication methods in each of the transactions between companies and end customers.
The responsibility of taking care of our assets, also on our part, is invaluable, by incorporating as something mandatory, the encryption of our phones and computers, investing in quality antivirus, and not pirates. Every day more cases are heard of people who have been left without life savings as a result of being victims of this type of electronic theft of their money, the worst of which is that many of these cybercriminals are involved in the banking institutions themselves.
BANXICO created in 2013, the Management of Information Technology Security, as responsible for ensuring cybersecurity in the Institution, has a team that detects and responds to computer security incidents with an Early Reaction Center; It has also deployed basic protection tools (antivirus, firewalls, intrusion detectors, access tokens, etc.).
So my suggestion is, ask your bank, your brokerage house or where you have invested your money, what are their response protocols for incidents of this type? What are the coordination measures that each bank has with the national security?, How effective is cyber resilience and cybersecurity in your bank?, and finally, what personal measures do you follow to not be another victim?, but a responsible user that your own assets are not stolen.
