Tag Archives: Snapchat

AVG

Snapchat rolls out two-factor authentication

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The feature, known as ‘login verification’, is a way that users can help protect the privacy of their Snapchat accounts.

Two Factor Authentication is a way to help secure your online accounts by adding another step when you login. With Two-Factor Authentication, your regular password won’t be enough to gain access to your account. You will also need a code which is sent to your mobile device, either in form of a text message or via an app.

In Snapchat’s case, the first time an account is accessed from a new device, Snapchat will require a code sent via SMS to the mobile number registered on the account. This code can then be used to access Snapchat normally. Afterwards, the authorization will not be required on that device again (unless you instruct Snapchat to ‘forget’ the device.)

Login

 

For more information on two-factor authentication, check out the video below from AVG Academy.

Video

Two Factor Authentication

 

How to enable login verification on Snapchat

As detailed in Snapchat’s support page, here’s how to enable login verification in the app:

  1. Tap the ghost icon at the top of your camera screen
  2. Tap the Settings gear in the top right hand corner of your Profile screen
  3. Tap ‘Login Verification‘ under the ‘My Account’ section
  4. Tap the ‘Continue‘ button
  5. Enter the verification code sent to your mobile phone and tap ‘Continue‘

Once you have completed the login verification process, your device will remain a verified device until you elect to forget it.

 

AVG

Three reasons to be excited about: Mobile Payments

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While paying through a mobile device, wearable or digital card may seem like a high-tech near future, the reality is that mobile payments are already soaring around the globe.

Earlier in April, GSMA Mobile Money for the Unbanked (MMU) released its 2014 State of the Industry Report on mobile financial services.  The report indicates that there are already 255 mobile money services in operation across 89 countries and in over 60% of developing markets.

The arrival of major tech and finance players such as Apple, VISA and Samsung have brought the mobile payments into the spotlight and into the mainstream.

Here we look at three of the most interesting developments in recent months:

 

Digital Credit Cards

While generally still in the beta phase, digital credit cards promise to consolidate the bulk of a wallet or purse into a single card.

The idea is to forgo multiple cards and instead have a single digital card that can be programmed with the details of all your other payment and membership cards. At the touch of a button, your American Express card can become your Starbucks loyalty card. Pretty neat!

There are several major players in this space including Coin, Plastc, Swyp and Wocket.

Coin Card

 

Mobile payments are getting full backing

There’s recently been some good news for those worried about storing money in online services such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Wallet.

According to Yahoo Finance, the Feder Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) now insures funds stored in Google Wallet.

This means that should anything happen to Google or one of the banks holding your money, your digitally stored funds are protected by the US federal government.

While most of us use services such as PayPal to directly make payments rather than actually store money, it’s reassuring to know that online digital balances are starting to get the same government protection offered to the traditional banking system.

 

Mobile payments are going social

One of the most interesting developments in the mobile payment space has been the land grab by several social networks to integrate payment services into their platforms. Both Facebook and Snapchat have both got involved.

The rise of dedicated social payment services is also worth noting. Payment service Venmo has already risen to prominence (although not with a few security hiccups on the way).

Venmo

 

I personally see social and banking as two diametrically opposed services. One should be private, secure and personal, the other open public and shared.

The fact of the matter is that there’s clearly a demand for a payment protocol with inbuilt social features so expect to see a whole lot more activity in this area in the coming months.

 

 

 

AVG

Five things we can learn from Snapchat’s first transparency report

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At the start of April, messaging service Snapchat revealed that they release a biannual transparency report.

Transparency reports detail the requests for user data that received from governments around the world and what (if any) action was taken.

Snapchat’s first report contains the first four months’ worth of data, as they didn’t want to delay its publication.

So what do the numbers mean?

 

Snapchat is a big deal

Snapchat’s decision to publish a transparency places them in such esteemed company as Google, Apple and Facebook when it comes to detailing collaboration with governments.

The messaging service has grown in maturity since its early days and rumors of adding a money sending service only go to show that it is intent on upping its game.

 

US are leading the way in requests

Of the 403 requests for information, 93% of those came from the United States government. While the US has a track record of leading the field in transparency reports, its remarkable how far ahead they are in Snapchat’s report.

It’s worth mentioning that Snapchat’s sample size is small and market penetration is much lower in markets outside the US.

The trend continues with 92% of requests in the US resulted in sharing data, the figure is only 23% for elsewhere. In France, not one of the nine requests ended up in the Snapchat handing over data.

US Data Requests

 

Governments CAN look at your snaps

Snapchat highlighted in a 2014 blog post, that your messages are stored and can be retrieved, so it should come as no surprise therefore that your Snapchat messages, along with your username, email address, and phone number are at the mercy of governments.

 

But they really don’t care 

Despite Snapchat’s reputation for being a good place to share explicit images of yourself, the new transparency report shows that Snapchat did not receive a single take down request for content that isn’t banned by Snapchat’s own Ts&Cs or for copyright infringement.

 

Snapchat is taking security seriously

After news broke last year that millions of private messages had been leaked via third party service Snapsaved.com, Snapchat has been on a mission to improve security for its users.

Alongside the transparency report, Snapchat revealed that they have now blocked all third party applications to avoid a repeat of what has been dubbed “The Snappening”.

 

For more information on staying safe while using services like Snapchat

Video

How Snapchat Works

Security

Snapchat Publishes First Transparency Report

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Snapchat has released its first transparency report, covering a four-month period from November through February, and the data shows that the company didn’t receive any National Security Letters and got fewer than 400 total requests for data from the United States government. Snapchat, a California company that runs a popular chat and media-sharing service, said in the report […]