Over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way we function. One of the trends that have grown due to this prolonged crisis are contactless tap-to-go card payments. As people nowadays want to minimize contact when paying for goods and services, contactless payments allow them to pay for everything without touching anything but their phone or card.
Of course, as with any other technological advancement that quickly gains a large user base, it’s critical to pose the question, is tap and go safe? On this page, we’ll go deeper into this topic, go over the most significant pros and cons of tap and go technology and share how you can use it for safe and instant authentication.
What is Tap and Go Technology?
When talking about this technology, the simple tap and go meaning refers to contactless payments. Instead of the traditional way of paying for things by swiping your card or putting it into a chip reader, tap and go technology enables contactless communication between your device, and the device you want to make your payment to.
This works the same in all other scenarios. All you need to do is bring your smartphone or card to the NFC reader to start the communication process automatically. NFC devices that offer tap and go options will feature a recognizable symbol that looks a bit like a horizontally placed Wi-Fi signal symbol.
How Does Tap and Go Work?
Tap and go technology sounds practical but a bit vague and difficult to understand in this base functionality. So, how does tap and go work? In simple terms, tap and go technology works on software called NFC.
Short for near field communication, NFC technology powers tap and go devices by passing encrypted data through scannable codes. These codes are transmitted between devices through radio technology.
What makes them safe is that the shared information is encrypted through the entire process and is only decrypted once it reaches the receiving operator. Moreover, this process doesn’t involve using any PIN codes or other signatures, or proof of identity. That said, like with any other technology, you should understand both its benefits and drawbacks before putting it into action. This brings us to the next key point of this topic.
Advantages of Tap and Go Technology
The most significant advantage of tap and go technology is that you don’t have to touch anything else other than the device you have in your hand. Moreover, using this technology doesn’t require you to actually “tap” the device you want to do a transaction with. NFC technology can collect signals at a range of about four centimeters, meaning that you can already hear the beep before getting too close to the device.
This makes tap and go technology quick, easy, and safe. You don’t have to remember any data nor worry about someone stealing your information during the transaction. What’s more, you don’t even have to remove the NFC card or device from your pocket.
Additionally, many tap and go solutions have a specific limit you can spend per transaction using tap and go. So, even if it gets into the wrong hands by some chance, no one will be able to quickly and entirely strip your data for all of the money before you know what’s going on.
Disadvantages of Tap and Go Technology
While the inherent nature of how tap and go works brings many advantages compared to traditional technologies, it’s only fair to look at the other side of the coin. Although advanced, reliable, and safe, this technology is by no means flawless.
In theory, a potential threat for tap and go technology users is that someone can use the proximity feature to steal sensitive data from them without them even noticing. For example, if you’re in a crowded space and have a tap and go device or card in your pocket, someone can strip the money from it. That said, although this is possible in theory, there have been no real-world examples of such occurrences yet.
But, other than these potential types of data and money thefts, are tap and go cards safe? The answer is a resounding yes. Whether you’re using a tap and go physical card or a device, you can have peace of mind knowing that the tokenization and encryption process that backs up this technology makes tap and go completely safe.
Hideez Key - An All-in-one Tap and Go Device
Apart from using tap and go technology as a payment tool, you can employ it for many other uses and purposes, for example proximity authetication. The Hideez Key is a perfect example of this. It helps you create quick and foolproof authentication that can keep up the pace even in the most dynamic environment. The most advantageous benefits of Hideez tap and go technology include:
- Streamlined Authentication − When you walk up to your PC, you can unlock it within seconds simply by using the wireless token. The token stores all of the encrypted login credentials, which are invisible even to the end-user.
- Precise and Reliable Proximity Lock − The PC is automatically locked when you walk away from it. This eliminates having to lock your computer every time it’s about to be left unattended and minimizes the risk of data breaches.
- Built-in 2FA Methods − If you want to go contactless but want to ensure maximum authentiation safety, the Hideez Key has a list of custom settings that allow you to enjoy automated password management, FIDO passwordless authentication and various 2FA methods (OTPs and FIDO U2F authentication).
So, here’s a scenario of how tap and go login technology can help you keep your sensitive data safe and private. Let’s take the healthcare industry, for example, an industry where time significantly matters. When you arrive at work, you unlock your computer through a touch and go login. But since you’re dealing with emergencies, you need to constantly leave your workstation, potentially exposing your device to malicious users.
With tap and go technology, every time you walk away the PC and get to a sufficient pre-set distance, the device is blocked automatically so no one can access it without the login token. As you approach your computer again, it quickly unlocks so you can resume work without having to deal with a strenuous login process every time you get back to the device.
Employing the innovative Hideez Authentication Service, you no longer need to worry about exposed ePHI because of unattended workstations or employee errors. Request your free pilot now and make your environment truly secure.