Chatbots are the hottest digital technology phenomenon. The evolving business needs and advancements in messaging platforms are resulting in rapid chatbot development. Multiple industries around the globe including, Healthcare, Banking, Financial, IT and Retail, etc. are adopting AI-backed chatbots. Chatbots help automates basic tasks and streamlines the business processes while also proving to be an excellent resource for customer service purposes.
Chatbots and Security Concerns
When it comes to Chatbots, there are two main security concerns that every organization must keep into consideration:
Threats
Threats can be perceived as isolated events, for instance, DDoS attacks or Malware. Cyberattacks of a global nature that target specific business groups have the potential to result in a permanent system lockdown and loss of access. Moreover, attackers may also threaten to expose confidential information of a critical nature.
Vulnerabilities
If state-of-the-art technology is not being used to protect a system, the room for vulnerabilities becomes open, hence making it vulnerable, which can be attributed to weak coding and poor protection standards.
Chatbots can bring immense value to organizations by enabling the advancement of new-age digital interactions between businesses and their customers. However, all this advancement is not without legitimate concerns about the security of chatbots. These concerns relate to the storage of information collected through chatbots, data protection, and who has access to it.
Both employees and customers often enter the information of a sensitive nature during the chatbot sessions, information that risks getting intercepted by cyber attackers. As enterprises adopt chatbot solutions, the mitigation of threats and vulnerabilities becomes a critical matter.
Read more: Chatbots are the New HR Managers
Cybersecurity Measures for Chatbot Data and User Privacy
As enterprises increasingly adopt chatbot solutions, overcoming the potential threats and vulnerabilities is essential. Here we present a few actionable measures to ensure chatbot security:
5 Actionable Tips for Chatbot Security
1. User Identity Authentication
User identity authentication is one of the most common authentication methods used by many industries worldwide. Users get secure distinct login credentials, usernames, and passwords. The exchange of these credentials results in the creation of an authenticated token. The generated authenticated token then verifies the user identity and grants permission for access.
2. Authentication Limits
Time-based restrictions on the usage rights of the authenticated user can also result in higher levels of security. Access to the authenticated tokens can be valid for a specific period. After the expiry of the token, the chatbot automatically revokes the access. Moreover, in some cases, the users can be asked to confirm if they are active before the session terminates.
This method can be particularly useful for preventing a hacker’s repeat attempts of trying and guessing their way into the secure account.
3. Biometric Authentication
The biometric authentication process involves validating a user through biological inputs. The users are given the option to identify themselves using unique biometric authentication devices i.e. fingerprint scanners or retina scans. This method is one of the most effective ways of enhancing security in personal devices.
4. Self-Destroying Devices
Usually, the chatbots which make digital transactions, treat the personal account information as inputs from the users and process the transactions. However, it needs to be considered, how long that information is stored and where.
The best way to mitigate this solution is to destroy or remove the information ultimately exchanged as a result of the chatbot conversation. After some time, chatbots automatically clear the sensitive data submitted by the user.
5. Intent Authorization
Chatbots present a unique feature i.e. they are available on multiple social networking channels such as Skype, Microsoft teams, Facebook and Slack, etc. Organizations can restrict the use of the chatbots when it comes to specific communication channels for ensuring security and compliance with the SOPs.
Enterprise chatbot builders can be used to restrict the use of chatbots in this regard.
VPNs Can Come in Handy
Apart from the measures mentioned above, the adoption of a robust and reliable VPN for Windows can also help secure the data that users enter in chatbots. VPNs offer high-end encryption of the information while their dedicated IPs can go a long way towards protecting the servers.
While the organizations stand to benefit a lot from embracing chatbots since they present a lot of untapped potentials but it is essential to thoroughly examine the security capacities of the chatbots, a robust and all-encompassing security system must be in place before a company makes the transition.
Read more: 4 Evolving Technologies That Are Empowering Chatbots
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