F-Secure secures online banking transactions

As cybercriminals continue to develop more and more sophisticated financial malware, F-Secure is using its security expertise to protect consumers’ bank accounts. Banking Protection, a new feature of F-Secure’s Internet Security 2013 and an add-on to operator-provided Safe Anywhere PC, is designed to protect consumers’ online banking sessions from malicious attacks.

“The world of cybercrime is a well-orchestrated industry,” says Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer at F-Secure. “Criminals without technical know-how can easily purchase malware toolkits designed to steal money from online bank accounts. It’s easier than ever. It’s malware-as-a-service.”

74% of consumers already do online banking, and cybercriminals are following the money. They are authoring ever more sophisticated, difficult-to-detect malware called Trojans and aiming them at consumers’ browsers. After infecting a computer, a Trojan waits until the customer starts an online banking session, then captures login credentials and personal information and steals money, diverting transactions to criminals.

F-Secure’s Banking Protection protects online banking sessions against Trojans by adding an extra layer of security on top of Internet Security 2013’s antivirus, blocking any connections that could potentially compromise the security of a session. It works unobtrusively without interrupting the banking session, while still allowing access to sites that are verified safe by F-Secure.

Unlike other banking security offerings, with Banking Protection, there is no special software to install, no extra apps or browsers. It works in the most common browsers, so consumers can continue to enjoy the convenience of using their favorite.

“The Banking Protection feature provides the simplest banking security on the market,” says Sami Visti, Product Manager at F-Secure. “Users can just continue to bank the way they always do, but they’re fully protected from possible Trojan attacks.”