Contact centers are particularly vulnerable to data breaches, given the large volume of sensitive information it handles and shares every day.
The security of this data is a critical concern for safeguarding CX and business outcomes. Yet, many operations still use security questions. Now, there are many better ways to protect clients.
What Is the Role of Security Questions in Contact Centers?
Security questions hinge on the bases that only the individual themselves will know the answers to personal questions, such as: what is your mother's maiden name, eldest sibling's middle name, or favorite food?
However, that does not always work. A family member or even an unpleasant ex-partner who knows the individual well can answer most of these questions accurately. What's more, much of this information is now available to fraudsters via a glance at victims' social media accounts.
Brute force cyber attacks are also common, where fraudsters use trial-and-error to guess correct answers and details about a person’s background, aided by social engineering.
Additional Risks Around Security Questions
Since the compromise of many customer databases has hit the headlines in recent years - including a recent alleged breach at Coca-Cola - many customers submit fake answers to security questions.
When questioned later, they have problems responding since they cannot recall which response they had provided. When customers cannot reset their answers, it creates a slew of issues and inconveniences.
Instead, these customers must rely on a support team to authenticate their identity, which is often an arduous process when using antiquated security systems.
Moving Away from Security Questions
As data breach attempts become increasingly sophisticated, companies must move away from security questions as their only authentication method. They are out of date, cause issues, and frequently contain answers that may change over time.
Many websites now use SMS or email-based permission codes. Doing so checks that the person who has access to the customer's details intends to log in.
Such a technique is simple but often effective in deterring fraudsters. Here are five more excellent examples.
1. Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication requires a user to give two or more verification factors to receive access to a resource such as an application, online account, or a VPN.
A strong identity and access management policy must include one or more verification criteria in addition to a username and password, reducing the chances of a successful cyber-attack.
The system then requests further information for verification - i.e., another factor. One-time passwords (OTP) are one of the most typical elements of multi-factor authentication.