3D Secure technology was invented to fight online fraudsters, secure payments when shopping online and minimize the risk of bank card theft. But what exactly is 3D Secure?
3D Secure is a technology designed to protect the money of a bank card holder when making payments over the Internet. And it works through a one-time password, which confirms that the card is in the hands of the owner, and that he agrees to the operation.
The password is obtained in one of two ways:
- if a person has a mobile banking service activated, the code will be sent to the phone number;
- if there is no mobile bank, they use a list of one-time passwords (there are usually about 20 of them), which can be obtained at any of the ATMs, and to confirm the operation, specify the password whose serial number is requested by the bank's website.
And if the password is entered correctly, the banking operation will be successful. Such technology, of course, does not 100% protect bank customers from losing money, because a one-time code can be intercepted by hackers using a special virus. But the likelihood of suffering from the machinations of fraudsters is minimized by 3D Secure.
3D Secure was originally developed by the Visa payment system, and was, as it is now, an XML protocol, which, in fact, adds another step to the authentication process. And subsequently, services based on a similar protocol were adopted by such payment systems as MasterCard, SafeKay, JCB International, Mir, American Express.
Authentication itself is based on three independent domains: the acquirer, i.e. servicing an online store or bank, the issuer is the bank that issued the card, and the third domain is determined by the payment system.
However, using 3D Secure technology, you need to take into account the subtleties, ignorance of which may well provoke problems:
- outside the country where the bank that issued the card is located, the use of a mobile bank may be difficult;
- and it's not safe to carry a list of one-time passwords with you all the time.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to provide in advance a way to protect the card account in such situations. Again, there is the possibility of setting a reusable password for 3D Secure - this is more convenient for travel and at home, since you do not have to wait for an SMS or worry about the list. But for cybercriminals, a reusable password gives more opportunities to steal money.
3D Secure is one of the most reliable payment protection systems in the world of modern technologies. And you can connect it in three ways:
- automatically upon receipt of a bank card;
- apply to the issuing bank with an application, after which the service will be activated;
- use the online bank service.
However, the 3D Secure service is considered quite expensive, and therefore not all banks offer it to their customers, and not all online stores support this technology. Of course, over the years, these stores are becoming less and less, because it is also beneficial for them that their customers are protected while shopping. But in order to avoid refusal to make a payment, you should always clarify in advance whether this or that online store works with 3D Secure or not.
