“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 12 March)

The latest top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management

In this weeks selection;

The Pandemic

• The COVID-19 pandemic - one year in

Banks & Credit Unions

• Arizona group aims to jump-start European-style open banking in U.S.
• Wells Fargo Ditches Abbot Downing Name for Ultra-Rich Clients

Fintech

• Mood swing – China’s government is cracking down on fintech. What does it want?
• What to expect from the fintech industry in 2021

Payments

• BNP Paribas rolls out A2A instant payments for e-commerce merchants
• New car tipping app arrives for Sonic carhops
• US, UK Firms Prioritize Innovation To Speed X-Border Payment Flows

Cybersecurity

• Fintech Cybersecurity Threats You Should Know About
• It may be worth paying, but online privacy comes at a price
• Top 10 types of information security threats for IT teams
• Watch Out! New Android Banking Trojan Steals From 112 Financial Apps

Artificial Intelligence

• Top 10 predictions of how AI is going to improve cybersecurity In 2021
• Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Technologies Making a Breakthrough in 2021
• Deep Learning vs Machine Learning: What Your Firm Needs to Know

TOP READS OF THE WEEK (for week ending 5 March)

The latest top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management

In this weeks selection;

Banks & Credit Unions

• The disruptive trends & companies transforming digital banking services in 2021
• Is the Coronavirus Killing Off Cash?
• Why the rest of the world should care about innovation in Africa
• Innovative banking and finance trends for 2021
• How CUs Can Meet Innovation Expectations

Fintech

• Fintech Changes Will Shift Focus to Customers in 2021
• How a Fintech Startup is Starting to Change the Financial Services Industry
• Gen Z is defining digital banking. FinTech is listening

Cybersecurity

• Top 2021 banking and fintech security regulations
• Phishing emails tempting people with fake coronavirus vaccines
• Understanding Malware: 10 Common Types You Should Know About
• Cutting-edge banking tech could create a world of super savvy savers
• The Most Common Hacking Techniques of 2021

Artificial Intelligence

• AI in Digital Marketing: Separating the Facts From the Fiction
• EU report warns that AI makes autonomous vehicles ‘highly vulnerable’ to attack
• The Next Generation Of Artificial Intelligence

“Must Reads” for 5 March

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• The necessity for better data security in 2021
• Banking the Unbanked — Investing in Mobility Capital Finance
• Crypto exchange Coinbase files paperwork to go public
• ‘Screen scraping is not evil’: Bankers, fintechs, aggregators face off
• Two banks explain how they’re using biometrics
• Bitcoin could become the “currency of choice for international trade”, says Citi

“Must Reads” for 4 March

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Companies are using AI to hit business goals, even though they can't explain how it works
• How are Neobanks Aaccelerating the future of FinTech?
• AI facts every Dev should know: Artificial intelligence is older than you, probably
• Malware Analysis- The art of understanding malware
• SMEs need to strike balance between cybersecurity & business
• AI in Cybersecurity: Six considerations for 2021
• Ten Technologies To watch In 2021

“Must Reads” for 3 March

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• How mirroring the architecture of the human brain Is speeding up AI learning
• Key priorities for fintech in 2021
• Cybersecurity pros: Automation and app security are top priorities in 2021
• Africa’s mobile banking will be redefined by social media
• What is a cyber attack? Recent examples show disturbing trends
• Who wins the UX arms race: Traditional banks or neobanks?
• Three reasons Africa’s fintech market is thriving

“Must Reads” for 2 March

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• The Evolution of Planet Fintech
• The Move toward digital banking & transitioning traditionalists
• Types of Malware - Best Malware Protection Practices for 2021
• People file lawsuits to test boundaries of California's privacy law
• The disruptive trends & companies transforming digital banking services in 2021
• How IoT will change everyday life by 2030?
• Digitalisation, COVID-19 and the future of banking

“Must Reads” for 1 March

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• North America and Europe will total 179 million IoT smart homes by 2024
• 2021 Cybersecurity Trends: The emergence of the personalised attack chain
• Gen Z is defining digital banking. FinTech is listening
• BofA’s goal for digital banking: No customer left behind
• THE GDPR nearly three years on, 5 things you need to know - Security Boulevard
• EU report warns that AI makes autonomous vehicles ‘highly vulnerable’ to attack

“Must Reads” for 26 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Lack of Digital Maturity Threatens Survival of Banking Organizations Worldwide
• 5 Steps to Financial Services App Modernization
• Two banks explain how they’re using biometrics
• Will FinTech bring revolution in the Financial Services Industry?
• Millions of jobs probably aren’t coming back, even after the pandemic ends
• Building a Global Financial Cloud with Banking Partners

“Must Reads” for 25 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Trends in Fintech Collaboration: Start With The User Experience
• What We’ve Learned About Digital Banking in 2020
• YouTube AI Blocked Chess Channel after Confusing 'Black' and 'White' for Racist Slurs
• Fintech companies must balance the pursuit of profit against ethical data usage
• Fintech Amid COVID-19

“Must Reads” for 24 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• When bad actors have AI tools: Rethinking security tactics
• Banking and fintech security regulations for 2021
• Combining Three Pillars Of Cybersecurity Security
• The Secret Financial Lives of Consumers that Banks Don't Know About
• What Business Uses Will AI Have in 2021?
• Fintech companies must balance the pursuit of profit against ethical data usage

“Must Reads” for 23 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Barclays pulls plug on flagship payments app Pingit
• Emerging Markets Driving the payments transformation
• Fintech Investments in Banking
• 6 common types of cyber attacks and how to prevent them
• IT services firm Centreon downplays reports of backdoor software vulnerabilities linked to Russian hacking group Sandstorm
• France identifies Russia-linked hackers in large cyberattack

“Must Reads” for 22 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Types of Malware - Best Malware Protection Practices for 2021
• Top Trends of Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
• Cybersecurity Threats: The Daunting Challenge Of Securing The Internet Of Things
• Mobile banking: a catalyst for economic transformation
• Bridging the Trust Gap: How Fintechs Beat Incumbents at Their Own Game
• Crowd pleaser: The future of alternative financing is scale

“Must Reads” for 19 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• How Can Artificial Intelligence Revolutionize User Experience?
• Overview: Mobile Banking Technology Vendors 2021
• Banks and telcos have to partner for improved financial inclusion
• Advantages to Build a Financial App
• Who Says You Need A Charter To Be A 'Bank'?
• The Road Ends for the Bank Branch

“Must Reads” for 18 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Deep Dive into the MoneyLion and OppFi SPACs
• Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) Market Next Big Thing
• Community banks need cutting-edge tech to remain competitive
• Automation‌ ‌and‌ ‌IoT‌‌: ‌Transforming‌ ‌How‌ ‌Industries‌ ‌Function‌
• Needed: People To Put The Intelligence In Artificial Intelligence
• 5 ways to a strong password and better personal cybersecurity

“Must Reads” for 17 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Biden administration brings expertise, new attitude to cybersecurity
• 6 AI Myths Debunked
• AI and IoT – 5 use cases where it's gathering pace - TechHQ
• Digitalisation, COVID-19 and the future of banking
• What is Fintech? Guide to Financial Technology
• The promise of FinTech in a disrupted financial sector
• The fight against deepfakes
• Apps new ‘battleground’ for banks

“Must Reads” for 16 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Filling the AI skills gap - ‘If we sit back and do nothing, we will fail’
• What is the IoT? Everything you need to know about the Internet of Things right now
• Mobile money platform Pngme raises $3M to expand across Africa
• Banks and telcos must partner for greater financial inclusion
• Cryptojacking Malware Adds Rootkit, Worming Capabilities
• FinTech APIs: Open Banking vs. Platformication
• Fintech: During and beyond Covid-19
• To Stop Future Hacks, Look to the Past

“Must Reads” for 15 February

Today’s “Must reads” in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and risk management include:

• Mobile banking: a catalyst for economic transformation
• The Unbanked in Africa Could Be One of the Biggest Opportunities in Fintech History
• Here’s where AI will advance in 2021
• AIoT: When Artificial Intelligence Meets the Internet of Things
• Why Branch Banking is Dying in America
• Fintech's Market Favorability Likely To Continue Throughout 2021
• How IoT and smart city technology works: Devices, applications and examples
• Data Drought Slows Advance of AI in Cybersecurity

The Internet of Things and why it matters

The Internet of Things, which is commonly called IoT, refers to the billions of devices around the world that are connected to the internet through sensors or Wi-Fi. It's basically a giant network of objects that connect to the internet. Each device collects data, and this data, known collectively as big data, is exchanged and analyzed.

Learn about IoT's benefits for businesses, IoT security risks, IoT-related jobs, how industries and smart cities are using IoT, and more in this post from TechRepublic - Internet of Things (IoT): Cheat sheet

Smart Home devices are vulnerable to remote attacks

The number of connected devices in the average home is rising very rapidly. The Internet of Things (IoT), is likely to be the norm in the next couple of years. However the IoT can also contain many vulnerabilities and security issues.

Smart home devices may be vulnerable to attacks due to outdated software, or unpatched security flaws, or weak credentials according to a new report that was recently produced by Avast. This report can be accessed HERE.

16 million different home networks worldwide have been included in Avast’s study. The report focuses on 21 countries in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. 56 million devices were scanned as part of the study. Two out of five (40.8%) smart homes worldwide have at least one device that is vulnerable to attacks, out of which,69.2% are vulnerable due to weak credentials. The UK Government advocates that strong security should be built into internet-connected products by design.

In October 2018, the UK government published the Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security to support all parties involved in the development, manufacturing and retail of consumer IoT. You can access this HERE.

Aditionally, the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) has called for the adoption of Secure by Default which covers the long-term technical effort to ensure that the right security primitivesare built in to software and hardware. Read that HERE.

DDoS attacks enter the terabit era

From Deloitte CIO Journal

Deloitte Global predicts in 2017, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, a form of cyberattack, will become larger in scale, harder to mitigate and more frequent. Over the past few years, it has been a game of cat and mouse in which neither side has become too powerful, but this might change in 2017 due to the abundance of insecure IoT devices and the fact that large-scale attacks which exploit IoT devices' vulnerabilities have become simpler to execute.