Visual identity as a shield: the new security standard in the banking system
The global financial sector is accelerating the adoption of digital tools to ensure that its official communications are easily distinguishable from attempts at deception.
Corporate email is at a technological crossroads where trust is no longer assumed, but something that must be demonstrated in every message. In an increasingly hostile digital environment, financial institutions and banks are leading a paradigm shift by implementing visual authentication technologies. Among these tools, Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) stand out. These certificates allow an institution’s official logo to appear alongside the message in the customer’s inbox, serving as an immediate seal of legitimacy.
Banking institutions are prime targets for phishing attacks and identity theft. These attacks are often successful because they visually confuse users with emails that perfectly mimic the look and feel of a real bank. The implementation of Visual Merchandise Control (VMC) directly addresses this problem: by displaying a verified logo, a clear dividing line is established between official communication and a fraudulent attempt.
Néstor Markowicz, COO of CertiSur, explains that for banks, where reputation is a critical asset, these certifications offer a double benefit. On the one hand, they improve the customer’s perception of security, and on the other, they leverage brand strength as a competitive advantage in terms of regulatory compliance. Implementing these solutions allows organizations to anticipate future regulations, strengthening their infrastructure according to their own timelines.
For a bank’s logo to appear securely in an inbox, a simple aesthetic configuration is not enough. The effectiveness of VMCs depends on a technical validation system called DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) configured in strict mode. This protocol requires rigorous authentication of the domain from which the email is sent.
While this technology doesn’t completely eliminate phishing, it drastically increases the cost and difficulty for attackers. Malicious actors can’t replicate a verified logo without having actual control of the domain, which hinders the scalability of their fraudulent campaigns. From the user’s perspective, the change is primarily cognitive: the appearance of a blue checkmark or a familiar logo reduces uncertainty and increases the willingness to interact with the content.
A Digital Maturity Process
The decision to adopt these measures is rarely random. Generally, banks initiate this deployment motivated by previous security incidents, internal audits that point to weaknesses, or new compliance requirements in highly regulated sectors. For many companies, this is the final step on their path to digital maturity after having consolidated their basic technical security policies.
The implementation process, which encompasses everything from validating legal identity to protecting the intellectual property of the logo, typically takes between two and six weeks, depending on the readiness of each entity’s IT infrastructure. In the fintech ecosystem, while adoption is growing, the landscape is more varied due to the different levels of maturity in their existing security policies.
In conclusion, the shift towards visually authenticated communications is becoming the industry standard. By adopting these certificates, banks not only protect their operations against identity theft but also proactively position themselves to meet the growing global security demands.
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