Tips to make your Digital Payments Safe and Secure


A conjunction of several favourable infrastructural changes and policies has created strong growth prospects for digital payments in India. Following the demonetization and cashless drive, digital transactions continue to become a part and parcel of consumer journeys today. Right from ordering the next bill, to hailing a cab ride, grocery shopping or paying for utilities, Indians are increasingly opting for digital transactions. In fact, as per the current trends, digital transactions are expected to be worth USD 1 trillion by 2025. The projections were highlighted in a white paper jointly released by ACI Worldwide and AGS Transact Technologies.

However, while digital transactions will continue to follow its growth trajectory, one may wonder if India today is aware and well-versed to securely transact online. All that glitters is definitely not gold, especially in the online world where several hackers and cyber-criminals are out on a prowl. Hence, as our lives continue to grow digital with every passing day, here’s discussing several hacks to keep our money secured online.

  1. Be careful with the OTPs – OTPs or one time passwords are the key to securing online transactions. They ensure secured transactions, since OTPs are created only for a transaction in particular. However, one should act responsibly with the OTPs. Under no circumstances, should these passwords be shared with anyone, especially if there is a stranger or an alleged service representative on the call, asking for the same.
  2. Be mindful of the security protocols – Online transactions are inherently safe and there are strong security protocols in place to ensure the sanctity of user information submitted. However, users need to be mindful and check if these security protocols are present in the website where they are transacting. For instance, the web address should start with HTTPS and not simply HTTP. S in the suffix stands for Secure. Furthermore, secured websites also have a green sticker in the browser, just for easy identification. As a rule of thumb, never submit sensitive information at any web address missing these two features.
  3. Be wary of public Wi-Fi and Computers – Who wouldn’t like a free Wi-Fi connection, right? However, when it comes to digital transactions, try avoiding the use of public computers and Wi-Fi for the same. It is strongly advisable to always use personal gadgets for carrying out digital transactions. Under unavoidable circumstances, don’t permit the computer to save your password and ensure that you have logged out of all networks.
  4. Keep an active firewall & anti-virus software – Firewall and anti-virus software play a key role in wading off unsolicited attacks from hackers and cyber-criminals. Make sure that you have one in every device that you use to access online shopping. Furthermore, always keep the most updated versions of these software and apps, in order to ensure maximum security, even against the latest scams and tricks that the hacker may conjure.

While these are some of the most fundaments tips and security measures while transacting online, users should also try their best to safeguard their accounts. Not keeping the same passwords for multiple accounts, using false information for security answers that nobody else can guess and more, are some of the many ways users can have fun while ensuring the security of their accounts. 

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