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Herald Correspondent
As the world observes Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe – the country’s leading telecommunications and technology company – has introduced new biometric finger print technology in all its shops and major distribution outlets, to strengthen cybersecurity around its customers’ identity, enhance overall data protection, and significantly reduce incidences of fraud and identity theft.
Econet said the new biometric service will authenticate customers’ identities for a variety of services, including the registration of new lines and the replacement of lost SIM cards.
During the Cybersecurity Awareness Month, organizations and businesses, educational institutions and governments across the world collaborate to raise awareness about cybersecurity and to help enterprises protect their customers, critical infrastructure, systems and operations from cybercrimes.
Econet Chief Operating Officer Mr Kezito Makuni said the new biometric security service is part of the company’s commitment to provide its customers with the highest level of security, and to protect them from cybercrimes.
“We are excited to launch our new biometric service and to offer our customers an added security layer at the point they access our products and services.
“Biometric authentication is a very secure form of authentication which will help enhance our customers’ protection and significantly reduce incidences of fraud and identity theft,” Mr Makuni said.
The new security feature – a first in the mobile telecommunications industry in Zimbabwe – comes at a time when several consumers and some organizations have fallen victim to cybercrimes, particularly to identity theft.
Mr Makuni said Econet’s biometric technology would protect subscribers from identity theft and SIM swap fraud, as well as improve the customer experience.
“Our biometric service will not only protect our customers from fraudulent, cybercriminal activities, but it will make it much easier for them to safely access and use our services,” he said.
SIM swap fraud – a type of mobile cybercrime where criminals take control of a customer’s phone number by manipulating their SIM card or by stealing their personal credentials – allows criminals to access the customer’s personal data and financial records and, in some cases, take over their social media accounts and impersonate the customer.
Econet said the biometric service was already available to all Econet customers, regardless of their phone type, at all Econet shops and distribution channel partners across the country.
It said to use the service and enjoy enhanced security, customers will be required to do a once-off registration of their biometric data (including having their finger prints and photo taken).
Once the data is registered (along with their ID number), the customer can now use the biometrics to securely authenticate their identity whenever they need to replace a SIM card, buy a new line or access any Econet service that requires the customer’s authentication.
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