Is Protecting Customer Information a Priority for Them?

Today I was sent a tweet that Banco Popular (@mibanco) sent to its followers communicating that their site was down and they could log in to another site including a link.

A fellow friend sent me the link to validate if it was authentic or not. I normally do not follow @mibanco (since I will admit that I have been a victim as one of their mortgage customers of inefficiencies of their processes and employees, which I plan to discuss at a later time) but given the tweet that was sent to me it brought mi attention.

My biggest concern with the tweet was the high risk of giving customers links via their twitter account. My core business is advising and consulting many local and global financial services companies in mitigating risk. Once you start giving customers links if at any moment your twitter account is hacked or under the wrong hands your customers are already used to receiving valid links via your twitter account. I have seen many celebrities and a few business accounts being hacked and the misleading information is sent out.

Later on they communicated that the issue had been fixed in a later tweet.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/mibanco/status/16871211211″]

I would have taken the system down and not sent out other links, which can confuse very easily your customers.

If Banco Popular continues to follow this practice they are opening themselves to the possible threat of a phishing scam or other Internet related threat that they are clearly not seeing.

I have visited many Banco Popular branches and it many occasions they are very weak in protecting customer data. Next time you visit a branch browse around and see how secure your data is.

Have you had any issues or have felt that your information is not secure with Banco Popular or any other bank? It would be great if you communicate to the entity so they can fix it. Not only are you helping out the bank but your mitigating the possibility of your and other bank customers’ information of being exposed.

Any other suggestions on what needs to be done protect customer information?