Discovery Bank rolls out new security features on its mobile app

Daniel Puchert said:
Discovery Bank launches secret panic code feature

Discovery Bank has rolled out several new security features on its mobile app, including a system for secretly warning the bank and law enforcement when a user is in danger.

CEO Hylton Kallner said the solution was being patented as an industry first.
Click to expand...
"secretly" warning them of what? your location? your personal data? sound recordings?

interesting move by Banks but not sure how i feel. My Standard Bank app recently asked for permission to screen all incoming calls and I was like NOPE.
 
neoprema said:
"secretly" warning them of what? your location? your personal data? sound recordings?

interesting move by Banks but not sure how i feel. My Standard Bank app recently asked for permission to screen all incoming calls and I was like NOPE.
Click to expand...
The app verifies calls from and to the bank's numbers as genuine. It's actually a great idea.
 
Imagine Discovery doing all this legwork, informing the police that criminals are withdrawing money at this ATM at this location, and the police taking this information and going back to gently humping the countertops at the station.
 
I might have to change to discovery. One of my biggest fears is being kidnapped and forced to transfer money under duress. Not that I have much for them to steal but if they hit you for like 10 or 20k on your credit card that would suck. Assuming they let you live through the ordeal.
 
Makes me consider switching just for this.
 
Athos said:
I might have to change to discovery. One of my biggest fears is being kidnapped and forced to transfer money under duress. Not that I have much for them to steal but if they hit you for like 10 or 20k on your credit card that would suck. Assuming they let you live through the ordeal.
Click to expand...
Do own a legal firearm and do you carry?

If not, do that first, then change to (Discovery).
 
Merlin said:
The app verifies calls from and to the bank's numbers as genuine. It's actually a great idea.
Click to expand...
How? How does it know an incoming call is pretending to be the Bank but its not? without listening to the call? If its using a list of known numbers its basically a glorified version of Truecaller...
 
Athos said:
I might have to change to discovery. One of my biggest fears is being kidnapped and forced to transfer money under duress. Not that I have much for them to steal but if they hit you for like 10 or 20k on your credit card that would suck. Assuming they let you live through the ordeal.
Click to expand...

Easiest thing is to have a "salary/invest" account and a "day to day" account.

The main account goes nowhere near your phone or wallet and stays at your home. So if they hijack you you just hand over everything pin and all and say have your fun.
 
LCBXX said:
Do own a legal firearm and do you carry?

If not, do that first, then change to (Discovery).
Click to expand...
They'll just kill you with that. Making it easy for them.
B-1 said:
Easiest thing is to have a "salary/invest" account and a "day to day" account.

The main account goes nowhere near your phone or wallet and stays at your home. So if they hijack you you just hand over everything pin and all and say have your fun.
Click to expand...
A proper bank will now require their phone app as 2FA.
 
Last edited:
LCBXX said:
Do own a legal firearm and do you carry?

If not, do that first, then change to (Discovery).
Click to expand...
I don't know where I stand on the whole self-defense thing with a firearm. Nothing against owning a firearm and using it as an EDC. I just think you need to spend a lot of time at the range to make sure that when something goes down you are prepared (muscle memory and whatnot). I would have to start from scratch and put in a lot of time to ensure I was ready.

I am also under zero illusion that compliance (without a firearm) guarantees your life either.
 
Athos said:
I don't know where I stand on the whole self-defense thing with a firearm. Nothing against owning a firearm and using it as an EDC. I just think you need to spend a lot of time at the range to make sure that when something goes down you are prepared (muscle memory and whatnot). I would have to start from scratch and put in a lot of time to ensure I was ready.

I am also under zero illusion that compliance (without a firearm) guarantees your life either.
Click to expand...
If you don't want to make the effort, you have the right to outsource your safety/security.
 
A better solution is that customers should never be liable for transactions that weren't authorized or done under duress. This is the law in quite a few countries. Having to fiddle with remembering some obscure pin while someone has a gun to your head isnt something that will work out favorably for many.
 
pstation said:
A better solution is that customers should never be liable for transactions that weren't authorized or done under duress. This is the law in quite a few countries. Having to fiddle with remembering some obscure pin while someone has a gun to your head isnt something that will work out favorably for many.
Click to expand...
It’s not obscure you set it yourself.
 
can they add some security features to secretly warn the bank and law enforcement when the user is a criminal?

... been seeing tons of fraud from Discovery Bank accounts lately
 
There was a Discovery presentation today which was not mentioned and they described the new feature which I think a quite ingenious.

It is like an onion with many layers.
1) The first layer is the default facial recognition into the Discovery bank app (all bank use this)
2) 2nd layer is that you can hide certain/which ever accounts you specifically want with a different password. (Some are then available, and some are hidden)
3) 3rd layer is you can un-hide these accounts with the same password that you hid them. This will allow you to see/work with them like normal
4) 4th layer: if you are kidnapped or whatever else, you can un-hide these accounts using a different password, sort of a "panic" password you had setup. By un-hiding these accounts with the "panic" password, Discovery's investigating team will be immediately notified, and they can monitor transfers, let police, other banks and anyone else know that the "panic" password was used and can act from there.

I think it's pretty ingenious and don't think that any other bak has thought of this yet
 
Smiggles said:
It’s not obscure you set it yourself.
Click to expand...

And you'll use it how often?... it will be forgotten, thus it would indeed be obscure.

Like people forgetting their laptop login passwords due to PIN usage, then when they get to another system/device that cannot use the local device only PIN, they have no idea what the password they had chosen is.
 
Domains.co.za (Wayne) said:
There was a Discovery presentation today which was not mentioned and they described the new feature which I think a quite ingenious.

It is like an onion with many layers.
1) The first layer is the default facial recognition into the Discovery bank app (all bank use this)
2) 2nd layer is that you can hide certain/which ever accounts you specifically want with a different password. (Some are then available, and some are hidden)
3) 3rd layer is you can un-hide these accounts with the same password that you hid them. This will allow you to see/work with them like normal
4) 4th layer: if you are kidnapped or whatever else, you can un-hide these accounts using a different password, sort of a "panic" password you had setup. By un-hiding these accounts with the "panic" password, Discovery's investigating team will be immediately notified, and they can monitor transfers, let police, other banks and anyone else know that the "panic" password was used and can act from there.

I think it's pretty ingenious and don't think that any other bak has thought of this yet
Click to expand...

Knowledgeable criminals:

Now put in the unhide password, and make sure it's not the panic password, because if we get wind of the cops coming, you'll get shot right away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter