Popularity of the Mobile Certificate is growing, but too many rely only on bank IDs for identity verification

Among DNA customers, October saw the highest increase in the number of Mobile Certificate users, with a growth of nearly 15%. The Mobile Certificate has grown in popularity throughout the year, and the previous larger surge in user numbers was seen last spring. The number of Mobile Certificate users among DNA customers has grown by more than 46% this year.

“This autumn, the Mobile Certificate has received plenty of publicity as banks have struggled with security issues and the number of phishing attempts targeting bank IDs has increased dramatically. While we are delighted for every new Mobile Certificate user, it is an unfortunate fact that many people only wake up to the issue when identity verification problems or scams affect them personally,” says Heidi Havastila, Head of Value Added Services at DNA.

According to the Digital Life survey commissioned by DNA, Finns see information security as important, necessary and vital. Among the survey’s respondents, 70% saw the hacking of bank accounts and theft of money as a risk. Despite this, most people in Finland use bank IDs to sign in to services that require identity verification, such as Kela, the Tax Administration or OmaKanta.

“The Mobile Certificate is a simple and easy way of taking care of information security, so we encourage everyone to activate it. Not only due to the fact that identity verification using bank IDs carries a risk of the IDs ending up in the wrong hands, but also because everyone should have access to two means of identity verification. For example, if bank IDs do not work for one reason or another, it would be good to have another method of identification available,” says Havastila.

The police, the Bank of Finland, security experts and the National Cyber Security Centre also recommend using the Mobile Certificate for all identify verification except for signing in to online banking services. Using the Mobile Certificate prevents scammers from accessing bank details and using them to empty the account, as the certificate cannot be used for signing in to online banking services.

Scammers active during promotional campaigns and peak shopping seasons

Scammers take advantage of trends and current events, such as payment dates of tax refunds and Black Friday sales. The holiday season and resulting increase in online shipping and package deliveries also cause scammers to become more active.

“Fake stores are a common type of online shopping scam. Package delivery scams, on the other hand, may pretend to be a trustworthy party asking you to perform a credit card transaction or sign in with your bank IDs in order for the package to be delivered. The message typically contains a link that leads to a scam website,” says Havastila.

“It’s also recommended that companies get their employees to activate the Mobile Certificate for company phone plans. If bank IDs are used extensively to identify for different services, this poses a risk of the company’s information falling into the wrong hands. In the case of company phones, in addition to the individual’s own bank account, the company’s information may be in danger if the user inadvertently identifies themselves to a fraudulent website or uses unsecured, public Wi-Fi networks,” says Mari Eklund, Vice President, Communication Solutions at DNA.

Cybercriminals seeking financial gain are interested in bank IDs and passwords, and scams phishing for these are rapidly becoming more common. In addition to online stores, scammers may claim to represent organisations such as tax authorities and health care providers.

“In addition to phishing scams, CEO and investment scams are also circulating at the moment, and companies should also be aware of these types of scams. In a CEO scam, the cybercriminal poses as a CEO or other high-ranking company executive with the aim of convincing the employee to urgently perform a bank transfer or payment. Companies should be also prepared for and protected against these types of situations,” Eklund sums up. 

DNA’s Digital Life survey
 The Digital Life survey, produced jointly by DNA and Nepa, was conducted using an online panel from 18 to 27 March 2023. Its aim is to find out how Finns use different digital services as well as their experience regarding digital inclusion. The annual survey received 1,018 responses from Finns over the age of 15. The survey has been conducted since 2013.

Media enquiries:

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 (0)44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi