UnionBank has opted not to use clickable website links in its promotions communication materials as part of its continuing efforts to help protect consumers from being victims of online fraud like phishing and smishing. This initiative forms part of UnionBank’s proactive measures to address the surge in “smishing” attempts made through fraudulent text messages to customers.
UnionBank has also intensified its cybersecurity information drive #CyberSureHoliday to raise awareness of the cyber security risks involved in holiday seasonal shopping, including phishing scams, data swipes, fake websites and infected website links. Through its partnership with Manila Bulletin, it launched a holiday cyber safety public service announcement, reminding Filipinos to recognize phishing SMS or emails and not click suspicious links.
“Forward-thinking banks are embracing technological innovations to re-define customer experience in terms of financial health, wealth and security. Despite the conveniences technology provides, recent events have shown us how quickly our lives and businesses can be disrupted when cyber criminals use technology to do harm,” said Henry Aguda, UnionBank Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer.
“To further protect Filipinos from these vulnerabilities, we at UnionBank are continuously fortifying our IT security solutions. We are also complementing this measure with our #CyberSure information campaign to offer Filipinos actionable guidance on how they can protect themselves from cyber perpetrators and practice safe online behavior. If everyone does their part, the interconnected banking world will be more resilient for everyone.”
For a worry-free digital transaction, UnionBank, through its #CyberSure information drive, has reminded Filipinos to: Never click on links in text messages or emails, no matter how realistic they look; Always check the email sender and go directly to its official app, UnionBank Online, to verify their transactions; and to be careful on what they publicly share on social media, as fraudsters gather data by looking up email addresses online.
As the Philippines’ best digital bank, UnionBank was among the first financial institutions in the country to set up an integrated operations center (IOC), which is a collaborative facility to address the growing cybersecurity concerns. This allows UnionBank to respond to cyber threats faster, as well as provide remediation steps and coordinate the incident response across groups more effectively.