Challenges in SMS and Email Communication in Banking Services

Mobile banking has definitely developed over the last few years and has gained a large number of followers who, above all, value the convenience of the service and the absence of stationary visits to bank branches. With the growth of this form of banking, there has been a more intensified need to introduce communication with users via channels such as Email and SMS. However, there are a number of challenges that financial institutions have faced in this regard.

Security - one of the most important aspects

Financial institutions using outsourced services are required to pay particular attention to entities that they cooperate with and to verify them. Of course, an equally important element is to educate clients on cyber security, creating materials and instructions so that clients can distinguish between a credible message and a phishing attempt, such as paying attention to the padlock symbol in an Email.

MessageFlow meets the requirements of the Banking Outsourcing Act

As a CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) providing IT solutions, supporting, among other things, Email and SMS shipment services, we aim to guarantee security and effectiveness in communicating with millions of recipients in an automated manner and with full personalisation of the message. 

First-class technology and safety

We continuously monitor the operation of the systems and ensure that data is fully archived, making the service stable and reliable. The entire platform meets the requirements for protection and processing of personal data and is subject to control in terms of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) and other legislation. In our operations, we follow the recommendations of the IAB Code of Good Practice and we are an active member of it. We do our best to support our clients so that their data is collected, processed and used in a way that ensures meeting the highest security standards. To this end, we have implemented and adhere to a security policy. Thus we offer our Customers full security and compliance of shipments with international law. Additionally, MessageFlow platform is the subject to regular security tests carried out annually by our pentester in-house and externally by an independent entity.

Controlling access granted

When the service is facilitated, individual logins and passwords are assigned, along with the possibility of creating users and defining their respective rights in accordance with internal company policy. In order to meet the demanding needs of the banking sector, it is possible to introduce IP control, i.e. to determine from which addresses it is possible to log on to the platform. In response to individual needs, we adapt to specific requirements, e.g. by setting up a VPN tunnel to protect transmitted data from third-party access.

Secure Email and SMS communication

We offer a dedicated sending environment as well as individual SMTP servers to guarantee the highest quality in Email communication. We support and help configure security protocols such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC or BIMI. Based on experience, we recommend TLS encryption to financial institutions, which prevents third parties from viewing the content of Email messages on the way between the system, the SMTP server and the Email provider.

One such tool is 360 Anti-phishing Shield, a functionality designed to detect, prevent and warn of fraud attempts. This tool is divided into two modules: "Anti-phishing" - detecting potential threats to prevent abuse and "Fraudalert" - an extension geared towards protecting a specific name or brand.

In terms of compliance and detection of potential threats, we cooperate with entities such as CERT, Google, NASK, BITLY, PAYPAL and GSM operators. 

We also have a proprietary link tracking solution so that our clients do not have to use external tools, which are definitely not recommended in the context of protection against phishing attempts. 

In addition, we offer the possibility to activate your own domain, which is used in the links in the SMS content. Unquestionably, this form of link shortening has a number of advantages, including the most important one- it guarantees security and consistency in terms of marketing activities.

MessageFlow platform for banking

At MessageFlow, we are aware of how stringent the regulations for banks can be and, in carrying out our tasks, we meet all the requirements in this regard. 

Maintaining security and the obligation to constantly invest in technologies that increase the level of security is an integral part of our activity. 

We base our know-how, which has been developed over several years,  on the implementations of many clients from the banking industry. We cooperate with entities such as Proficredit, Yes Finance, Nestbank or ING, guaranteeing full support and becoming a trusted partner in everyday challenges.

If you have any further inquiries or wish to delve into the specific details of your campaign, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at contact@messageflow.com. Our experienced team is in control of cutting-edge technology and is always prepared to offer tips and advice to assist you in achieving the best possible results.