Effective September 30, 2018, users of National Commercial Bank (NCB) Jamaica online services will be required to carry out a two-layered security login procedure as the Bank moves to clamp down on fraudulent activities.

NCB in press release yesterday, said since its introduction of the RSA SecurID Tokens, over 70 per cent of active online banking customers have been secured using the technology. With the September 30th deadline drawing closer, efforts are underway to get the all customers secured under the system.

RSA SecurIDtokens, which requires customers to input a personal 4-digit PIN followed by automatically generated RSA code, forms part of a $2-billion investment in global technologies and certifications the bank started in 2016 to improve the reliability of its network and the security of customer accounts.

According to the bank, the six-digit randomised code can be accessed via the mobile app, or by a small device (token) “RSA” provided by NCB. The code must be used within a specified time before it expires, thus reducing the risk of it being copied or misused.

Lloyd Parchment, fraud prevention manager at NCB has advised that on September 14, NCB will stage an Anti-Fraud Friday event aimed at helping customers get secure using NCB Online at its Half-Way-Tree Branch. Assigned service team members will assist customers in getting signed up for an RSA token.

“With RSA a criminal will not be able to access your accounts with just a password. They will also require information from your secure RSA token. It is the best available safeguard and we want all our customers to take advantage of this solution,” Parchment said.

In recent times NCB has been using the media to educate the public on security risks in the landscape, and to provide tools to help safeguard its clients. Parchment reiterated that where third-party scammers are concerned, vigilance is key.

According to Forbes Magazine, the global cost of cybercrime had risen from US$445 billion in 2014 to US$600 billion in 2017, and is expected to reach US$2 trillion by 2019.

“Having cutting-edge modern security is more than a priority at NCB, it is absolutely a necessity. With the rate at which tech-fraud evolves, we have put the full force of the bank behind investing in the most current global security systems, and that is why we use RSA technology,” Parchment said.