Push Notifications vs. SMS: Which Is Safer for Banking Alerts in Canada and the United States
Receiving push notifications for banking transactions offers a higher level of safety compared to SMS alerts. This perspective comes from Robert Sabiryanov, co-founder of Bank for Entrepreneurs Blanc, who discussed the topic in an interview with socialbites.ca.
Push notifications are considered more secure because the servers that manage pushes are operated by major tech providers such as Apple, Google, and Huawei. In contrast, SMS messages often travel through services that are located within the Russian Federation. The security of push alerts hinges on the fact that the one-time password is stored only with the bank, reducing the risk of interception. Expert analysis also suggests that compromising Apple services and similar platforms would be a costly operation for attackers.
Sabiryanov notes that access to one-time passwords delivered via SMS can be obtained in several ways. For instance, an attacker might intercept the SMS gateway used by the bank to send notifications, or fraudulently obtain a duplicate SIM card, among other more intricate methods.
From the user’s point of view, push notifications can be the only reliable way to receive alerts while traveling abroad. SMS notifications remain useful for users who lack consistent internet access or have an unstable connection.
For added security, the expert recommends turning off the display of notifications when the smartphone screen is locked. This simple step allows more time to issue a new SIM card and regain access to internet banking if the device is lost or compromised.
Sabiryanov cautions that the only situation where push alerts might be less secure is when the smartphone has already been hacked or infected before the notification arrives.
Source notes on related safety topics can be found in other coverage from socialbites.ca, including information on protecting against dangerous QR codes on electric scooters.