Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 29 | Page 25

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TRENDING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC LEADS TO ACCELERATED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOR MERCHANTS AND INCREASED CASES OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to make a global impact, it is hard to ignore the commercial effect it has had and the cybersecurity issues raised as a result. Here we consider how retailers are responding. Forter, a leader in e-Commerce fraud prevention, has announced the release of the Forter Special Report on the Impact of Coronavirus on Consumer and Fraudster Behaviour. The report provides merchants across industries with insight into trends seen within the US$150 billion in transactions that Forter processes annually. As the Coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the globe, government responses have included enforced social distancing and financial support to beleaguered economies. Merchants who sell non-essential goods have responded by closing physical stores, and in some regions, their online operations. Consumers have begun to shift their purchases, even those of essential items such as groceries, online. www.intelligentcio.com The Forter Special Report tracks trends and spikes in consumer behaviour as well as innovative methods that opportunistic fraudsters take to prey on consumers during this unprecedented and unpredictable time. “Merchants are scrambling to cut costs, reduce the impact of fraud, scale efficiently and deliver a consistent customer experience to meet rising consumer online buying behaviour,” said Michael Reitblat, CEO and Co-founder of Forter. “The aftermath of the pandemic will accelerate Digital Transformation among merchants as consumer shopping habits adapt.” Covering industries including travel, fashion and beauty, food and beverage, marketplaces, and more, the Forter “ FRAUDSTERS HAVE NOTICED AN INCREASED DEMAND OF THE COMPLETELY VIRTUAL MERCHANDISE THAT IS EASY TO MONETISE. INTELLIGENTCIO 25