Reasons for More Banks to Team Up with Fintech Industry

Fintech being the latest buzzword in the finance industry, more or less many people have already come to know about it. For those who are still in the dark and are finding this term totally unfamiliar, Fintech is a whole new industry offering financial benefits to various organizations.

The fintech industry is made of different companies that offer innovative and latest financial technologies for the betterment of financial services. With the growing competition in the market, more and more banks are opting for a partnership with this latest industry.

Here are the main reasons for why most banks are thinking about teaming up with it:

Allowing Latest Payment Methods
Providing innovative technological ideas for easy online transactions, the fintech is providing the banks with excellent financial services. Banks have suffered a serious loss in popularity, over the past few years due to their not-so-updated financial methods of proceeding with transactions online. The financial crisis is acting as an eye-opener, so the banks are now relying on Fintech.

Presenting the Refreshed Version of Brands
Around 83% of respondents are referring to fintech as the main factor in enabling them to refresh their brandings. Fintech is helping the banks to improve their relationship with the customers in the best possible way.

It’s also allowing banks to introduce the latest offers and services to the customers in the fastest way possible. It is simply providing opportunities for various financial organizations of repositioning themselves in the market through its cutting edge technologies.

Banks Are Able to Cut On Costs Significantly
It has been seen in the records that 87%of the total participants have been able to cut the costs successfully. The fintech sector’s total amount of transaction value is expected to grow up to $ 1.57 trillion by the year 2020.

So, there’s no doubt about the effectiveness of it in cutting up the costs. The reasons for these huge amounts of savings are the agile and flexible structure of Fintech, as well as the lesser requirement for developing the services offered to the customers at the end of the incumbents.

Increased and Boosted Revenues
In the recently conducted survey, it has been seen that almost 54% of the incumbents have experienced a certain increase in their revenues. With the passage of time, it is expected that the number of profits will be boosted more than now or ever. For enjoying the benefits of the partnership with Fintech, specific areas and strategies must be formed and decided by the banks.

Letting the banks in on the latest trends of financial service technologies, it is helping banks to transform and embrace digitalization. It is by joining forces with Fintech, that banks would be able to stay updated in the dramatically and drastically changed online payment landscape.

7 Tips to Protect Your Business Against Cyber Criminals

Congratulations, you’ve made an effort and created a strong password for each of your online accounts. Now you can resume your daily routine, free from the worry that your business may be at risk of a cyber-attack.
Not so fast.

Although a strong password minimizes the likelihood of a security breach, it is not the be-all-and-end-all solution. Today’s cyber criminals are looking for various kinds of weaknesses in your organization. They need data, and will do whatever it takes to get it. Everything from credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, email addresses, online passwords, and much more.

Unfortunately, small businesses and freelancers often dismiss the possibility that they could be targets of a cyber-attack. The truth is, cyber criminals consider your accounts to be easy targets. Without an information security officer by your side, they know your business is more vulnerable. The same holds true whether you are freelancing as a social media expert, taking online bookings for your next sight-seeing tour, or selling your ceramic coffee cups through your website. According to Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat, 43% of cyber-attacks target small business because of their lack of knowledge and training on security. Just as the internet opens you up to new opportunities in e-commerce and freelancing, it also opens you up to new ways of being defrauded, scammed and robbed.

Don’t panic, though. There are some measures you can take to keep these criminals at bay and protect you, your business, and your customers from attacks.

Here are 7 additional tips to keep your business safe:

1] Make use of security certifications and encryption technologies that help protect sensitive data, and display any accompanying logos signifying that your website is safe. Immediately notify your clientele of any breaches in security. Protecting your clients’ information should be your top priority.

2] Learn as much as you can about how to avoid security risks and make the effort to participate in free webinars and reading online articles from trusted sources.

3] Get a good antivirus software, and keep it updated. IT security organizations like McAfee and AVG have loads of useful tips and tricks.

4] Always update your operating systems and web browsers.

5] Create and maintain internal and customer-facing risk management policies and procedures so your employees know what’s appropriate and what isn’t when working online. Establish clear Internet and social media usage policies as well as rules for using email safely.

6] Familiarize yourself with the contracts you have with your financial institutions and other business partners. Know your liability in case of losses through fraud and other security breaches.

7] As a freelancer, you must also protect yourself outside your home. For those times when you decide to work from a library or café, remember that most public networks tend to be unsafe and risky to use. Protect yourself using a Virtual Private Network (VPN); it will create an encrypted connection that acts like a tunnel between you and an outside server.

By following these tips, you are preventing yourself, your assets and your customers from falling victim to potential threats lurking online. Some of the most important changes a small business or freelancer can make to safeguard against data breaches are relatively simple and require minimal effort. Taking appropriate measures to ensure the trust of your current clientele is as important as making new ones. After all, your business depends on the trust built between you and your customers.

For more tips on securing your e-commerce business, visit the Online Security section of the Payza Blog and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.