From transferring money before heading to work to paying bills on a mobile phone at the end of the day, digital banking has become part of everyday life for many Filipinos. But as financial transactions become faster and more convenient, taking a few extra seconds to check before tapping “confirm” can make a meaningful difference in protecting personal finances.

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, EastWest is encouraging customers to adopt a simple practice when banking online: pause, check, and protect.

The reminder highlights how small, consistent habits—such as reviewing transaction details, keeping passwords and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) private, avoiding suspicious links, and checking account activity—can help customers reduce their exposure to fraud.

Alongside these everyday precautions, EastWest continues to provide digital banking security features designed to give customers greater visibility and control over their accounts.
Making Security Part of Everyday Banking
Through EasyWay, EastWest’s digital banking platform, customers can access security measures such as biometric login and authentication, OTP verification, encryption, and additional transaction authentication. The platform also allows users to manage selected card settings and transaction notifications, helping them monitor their banking activity more closely.

Principal EastWest credit cardholders can also use EasyWay’s Lock/Unlock feature to temporarily stop new purchases and recurring charges on their linked card. If a card is lost or stolen, customers should contact EastWest Customer Service immediately to have it permanently blocked.

For customers who want to add another layer of protection to their savings, EastWest offers EasyLock, one of the features under its Banking Made Safer program. Available through EasyWay, EasyLock lets customers set aside a portion of their balance that cannot be used for online or digital transactions until it is unlocked.
Additional Safeguards for Greater Account Protection
EastWest has introduced other security measures under its Banking Made Safer program, in line with the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and applicable Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas regulations.

These include:

• Emergency Shield — Allows customers to suspend digital banking access and outgoing transactions if they suspect their account has been compromised.
• Transaction Pause Period — Automatically applies a 24-hour pause to digital transactions following certain sensitive account changes, including changes to a registered mobile number, email address, or device.
• Temporary Holding of Funds — May place funds involved in a disputed or potentially unauthorized electronic transaction on hold while verification is underway.

These measures complement customers’ own security practices, helping strengthen safeguards as more financial activities move to digital channels.
Why Digital Banking Safety Matters
The growing use of digital payments underscores the importance of cybersecurity awareness. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showed that digital payments accounted for 52.8% of retail payment transactions in the Philippines in 2023, up from 42.1% in 2022 and just 1% a decade earlier.

As digital transactions become increasingly common, customers need to stay alert to potential scams and understand how to use the security tools available to them.

“Digital banking should make everyday financial tasks easier, but convenience and security must go hand in hand,” said EastWest CEO Jerry Ngo.

“As more customers choose to bank digitally, we continue to invest in safeguards that help protect them while keeping banking simple and accessible. By giving customers greater visibility and control over their accounts, we are making security a more natural part of the banking experience,” Ngo added.
Three Simple Steps to Help Protect Your Money
EastWest reminds customers to make these precautions part of their regular banking routine:

Pause before you transact. Take a moment to review payment details and consider whether a request or transaction seems unusual.

Check before you click. Avoid unfamiliar links, use trusted banking channels, and never share passwords, OTPs, card details, CVVs, or other sensitive banking information—even with someone claiming to represent the Bank.

Protect your accounts. Keep devices secure and updated, review account activity regularly, and act promptly if you notice an unfamiliar transaction or suspect unauthorized access.

With digital banking now woven into everyday routines, cybersecurity is no longer something to consider only when a problem arises. Through safer habits and available security controls, EastWest encourages Filipinos to make account protection a regular part of managing their money.

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the message is simple: pause before you transact, check the details, and protect what matters.