Using high-tech security to beat fraud
By THEAN LEE CHENG, StarBiz
In a move to prevent fraud, 92 out of 100 Malaysians are prepared to give fingerprints and iris scans to verify their identity with banks, government departments and other organisations, says global technology services and solutions company Unisys.
Its vice-president and general manager for Asia South Scott Whyman says the result parallels findings in the latest Unisys Security Index for Malaysia in May that 77% of Malaysians aged between 18 and 64, living in Peninsular Malaysia are either extremely or very concerned about the threat of identity theft.
The two areas they are most concerned about are the unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information, and other people obtaining credit/debit card details.
The May 2007 survey was conducted by Synovate Malaysia on 903 Malaysians in four market centres and 12 urban/rural areas.
The previous one was done in September 2006. Two more surveys will be done in September and November this year.
Whyman says the overall security index for May 2007 went up six notches to 179 from 173.
Eight questions pertaining to four broad areas were asked. The four areas are national security, financial, Internet and personal security. The objective of the survey is to understand the public's concern about the different security issues.
The same security index is also rolled out across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
"Those surveyed were most concerned about personal security," says Whyman.
He says "security" can broadly be divided into old world security and new world security.
Old world security, he says, essentially revolves around robberies, break-ins and theft. New world security moves in the realm of the digital. That is where technology and companies like Unisys come in.
Unisys provides technology and solutions to enhance security. Its clients are mainly governments, the banking sector and airlines and airports.
Unisys is the system integrator for MyKard, which is now used by 24 million Malaysians.
Whyman says the four areas are:
# National security, which includes war or terrorism and health epidemic;
# Financial, which involves other people obtaining and using your credit/debit card details and one's ability to meet essential financial obligations, such as housing, rental and other bill payments;
# Internet, which includes computer security in relation to viruses and unsolicited emails and e-banking and e-shopping and
# Personal security, includes unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information and one's overall safety over the next six months
Since Sept 11, 2001 (when terrorists flew planes into iconic sites in the US), things have been different. In the last five years, with the advances made in the digital age, things have occurred which we have never seen in our lifetime, he says.
Because credit card fraud has become a major concern for all banks, Whyman says it is up to the banking sector, and on a broader scale, the commercial sector to invest in security infrastructures to curb fraud.
"Malaysia has one of the most advanced systems in the world with the biometric MyKad, which has a chip containing all sorts of information about the carrier. But to a very large extent, it is used merely as an identity card.
"It can be very much more. Malaysia, both the government and the commercial sector, needs to think how this information can be used.
"The government has already invested in the infrastructure. It is now up to the private sector to take the system to the next level by leveraging on the infrastructure. It can begin with banking and financial institutions. They will need to spend on capital expenditure to take it to the next level. When they do this, they protect their own business."
He says Australia is watching what Malaysia is doing because they are mulling over having the same biometric system.
He says Unisys will continue to hammer the message home with their security index reading in the region.
"MyKad can be more than just an identity card. It has many other applications which up till now, remains untapped," he says.
In a move to prevent fraud, 92 out of 100 Malaysians are prepared to give fingerprints and iris scans to verify their identity with banks, government departments and other organisations, says global technology services and solutions company Unisys.
Its vice-president and general manager for Asia South Scott Whyman says the result parallels findings in the latest Unisys Security Index for Malaysia in May that 77% of Malaysians aged between 18 and 64, living in Peninsular Malaysia are either extremely or very concerned about the threat of identity theft.
The two areas they are most concerned about are the unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information, and other people obtaining credit/debit card details.
The May 2007 survey was conducted by Synovate Malaysia on 903 Malaysians in four market centres and 12 urban/rural areas.
The previous one was done in September 2006. Two more surveys will be done in September and November this year.
Whyman says the overall security index for May 2007 went up six notches to 179 from 173.
Eight questions pertaining to four broad areas were asked. The four areas are national security, financial, Internet and personal security. The objective of the survey is to understand the public's concern about the different security issues.
The same security index is also rolled out across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
"Those surveyed were most concerned about personal security," says Whyman.
He says "security" can broadly be divided into old world security and new world security.
Old world security, he says, essentially revolves around robberies, break-ins and theft. New world security moves in the realm of the digital. That is where technology and companies like Unisys come in.
Unisys provides technology and solutions to enhance security. Its clients are mainly governments, the banking sector and airlines and airports.
Unisys is the system integrator for MyKard, which is now used by 24 million Malaysians.
Whyman says the four areas are:
# National security, which includes war or terrorism and health epidemic;
# Financial, which involves other people obtaining and using your credit/debit card details and one's ability to meet essential financial obligations, such as housing, rental and other bill payments;
# Internet, which includes computer security in relation to viruses and unsolicited emails and e-banking and e-shopping and
# Personal security, includes unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information and one's overall safety over the next six months
Since Sept 11, 2001 (when terrorists flew planes into iconic sites in the US), things have been different. In the last five years, with the advances made in the digital age, things have occurred which we have never seen in our lifetime, he says.
Because credit card fraud has become a major concern for all banks, Whyman says it is up to the banking sector, and on a broader scale, the commercial sector to invest in security infrastructures to curb fraud.
"Malaysia has one of the most advanced systems in the world with the biometric MyKad, which has a chip containing all sorts of information about the carrier. But to a very large extent, it is used merely as an identity card.
"It can be very much more. Malaysia, both the government and the commercial sector, needs to think how this information can be used.
"The government has already invested in the infrastructure. It is now up to the private sector to take the system to the next level by leveraging on the infrastructure. It can begin with banking and financial institutions. They will need to spend on capital expenditure to take it to the next level. When they do this, they protect their own business."
He says Australia is watching what Malaysia is doing because they are mulling over having the same biometric system.
He says Unisys will continue to hammer the message home with their security index reading in the region.
"MyKad can be more than just an identity card. It has many other applications which up till now, remains untapped," he says.
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