United Airlines has reportedly launched a series of updates to its website, which it says will increase the security of its customers’ accounts.
According to a report, some of the core changes United Airlines rolled out include moving from four-digit PINs to a password and requiring customers to choose five different security questions and answers. It and other airline carriers had been relying on four-digit PINs for frequent flyer customers for a long time, which has left them vulnerable to a hack by bad guys who specialize in hacking and cleaning out loyalty accounts to get cash.
The report noted that, in an effort to change that, earlier in the year, it started unveiling new authentication systems requiring customers to pick a strong password and to choose from five sets of security questions and pre-selected answers. Customers could be required to provide the answers to two of the questions if they are logging in from a device United has never seen associated with that account. It could also ask customers to do that if someone is trying to reset a password or talking to United via phone.
While United may seem a little bit behind in security, it is embracing digital payments. Earlier this year, United Airlines announced it partnered with Ant Financial to offer Alipay as an official payment on its site. United noted in its news release that Alipay provides its customers access to more efficient and secure payments.
“This exciting new partnership with Ant Financial’s Alipay is another good example of our strong commitment as the most-friendly U.S. airline in China, as we prepare to celebrate 30 years of doing business in China in 2016. I am confident that this service enhancement will offer more Chinese consumers the chance to travel to the U.S., along with our convenient China-U.S. flight schedules and Chinese services, both on the ground and in the air,” said Walter Dias, United’s managing director for Greater China and Korea sales.