Have you ever shared a pic of your driver’s permit, national ID or passport with a sales person, insurance agent or banker? While this might be a quick, easy and convenient way of getting the required information to your service provider to complete a transaction, have you ever wondered what happens to those pics once the transaction is over?
In this digital age, convenience often comes at the cost of privacy. With messaging platforms like WhatsApp being used for business transactions, the casual sharing of Personal Identifiable Information (PII) has become increasingly common. However, what many people fail to realize is the potential risks associated with sharing sensitive data over these platforms.
Despite end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp is not as secure a platform as it should be for sharing sensitive information. There are still vulnerabilities that can expose users’ data to unauthorized access or breaches. Additionally, once information is shared, you have little control over how it is managed by the recipient.
Have you ever asked your service provider to delete the pics after you shared? If their device gets stolen or hacked, the information found could be used in a personalized phishing attack, which can make it easy for identity theft to happen resulting in a potential hack of your online services such as email or social media.
Both customers and service providers need to be proactive in safeguarding sensitive information shared over messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Here are some steps that both parties should consider if a transaction involves sharing PII:
- Delete Chat History: This reduces the risk of unauthorized access to the data in case the device is lost or stolen.
- Use Secure Channels for Follow-Up: Consider using more secure channels such as dedicated customer portals provided by the service provider or even via the providers official business email.
- Implement Secure Communication Practices: Service providers should implement secure communication practices within their organizations, including using encrypted messaging platforms designed specifically for business transactions.
Service providers should not encourage the use of WhatsApp but instead invest in dedicated customer portals with built-in security features and secure messaging systems that are as easy and convenient for the customer to use.
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