- Make sure that you have a trusted and up to date Anti-Virus software installed on your PC or any device you use to access any online payment services.
- Choose complex password that is 8 spaces long containing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
- Select a password that is difficult for others to guess. Do not use anything personal such as birthdays, names, phone numbers or other familiar words or numbers who people can guess.
- Change your password on a regular basis.
- Access the online payment services from trusted devices.
- You should never disclose any personal or financial details over email, or SMS. MEPS will never ask you for Username, password, full credit card number, etc... through email.
- Make sure that your PC or device has an up to date operating system, internet browser, and plug-ins since companies keep releasing security updates to close known vulnerabilities regularly.
- Only download mobile payment applications from official app stores.
- It is recommended to install security software on your smart phone to protect it from potential threats.
- Don’t store sensitive personal information or any login credentials anywhere. Such information should be remembered. Without the need to write it down on paper or store it on your device.
For more information on common computer security threats, please read the below
- Phishing Threat
Phishing is a form of fraud in which the attacker tries to learn information such as login credentials or account information by masquerading as a reputable entity or person in email, IM or other communication channels.
- Spam
is a subset of electronic spam involving nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. The messages may contain disguised links that appear to be for familiar websites but in fact lead to phishing web sites or sites that are hosting malware.. Users can prevent getting spammed by avoiding unfamiliar emails and keeping their email addresses as private as possible
- Key-logger
has the capability to record every keystroke you make to a log file, usually encrypted. A key logger recorder can record instant messages, e-mail, and any information you type at any time using your keyboard. The log file created by the key logger can then be sent to a specified receiver. Some key logger programs will also record any e-mail addresses you use and Web site URL you visit.
- Malware
Malware is a category of malicious code that includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
Types of Malware:
- Viruses
a computer virus is a program that can change computer operations, without the permission or knowledge of the user.
- Worm
it’s a computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Unlike a computer virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program.
- Trojan horses
is a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless programming or data in such a way that it can get control and do its chosen form of damage
- Spyware
is software that aims to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge and that may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or that asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge.
- Ransomware
is a type of malware that restricts access to the infected computer system in some way, and demands that the user pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction
- Rootkit
A rootkit is a collection of computer software, typically malicious, designed to enable access to a computer or areas of its software that would not otherwise be allowed while at the same time masking its existence or the existence of other software