Russian MVD pushes biometrics over SMS to protect banking and state apps
Citing intercepted text messages, Russia’s police ministry advises users to switch to biometric two-factor logins for banks and state portal Gosuslugi, even as it admits most theft stems from social engineering rather than technical interception.
Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has issued guidance advising citizens to replace SMS-based two-factor authentication with biometrics for banking applications and the state services portal Gosuslugi, state news agency TASS reported.
The ministry cited risks of attackers intercepting SMS verification codes, recommending biometric authentication instead for services where it is implemented with strong security. Gaining unauthorized access to these accounts gives attackers a complete set of personal data, the agency warned.
Yet the ministry's own warning points to a familiar contradiction: the overwhelming majority of stolen funds disappear because victims willingly hand over credentials. Fraudsters impersonating bank security or law enforcement routinely manipulate users into divulging codes or transferring money directly to supposed "safe accounts" over the phone, rendering technical 2FA defenses largely irrelevant at the point of deception.
Source: habr
Via: TASS
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