Status: Proposed
Context: We are observing a significant increase in sophisticated attacks against our platform. Adversaries are leveraging advanced techniques, including Generative AI (GenAI), to bypass our existing machine learning-based bot and fraud detection mechanisms. This creates a continuous and escalating challenge to update and retrain our detection models, which struggle to keep pace with the rapidly evolving attack behaviors.
The primary goals of this architectural change are:
- To establish a highly secure and reliable method for customer authentication and platform interaction.
- To significantly reduce the effectiveness of automated and AI-driven attacks.
- To enhance customer confidence and trust by providing a transparent and robust security posture.
- To offer an immediate, in-person support channel for customers, improving their experience compared to potentially delayed global chat support.
The proposal is to introduce physical, brick-and-mortar entry points where customers can be authenticated in person before accessing our platform via secure, dedicated connections.
Decision: We will introduce physical, brick-and-mortar locations as the primary and mandatory entry point for customer authentication and initial interaction with our platform. At these locations, customers will undergo in-person identity verification using their unique platform credentials and a government-issued identification document. Upon successful authentication, customers will be granted access to the platform via secure, on-site terminals that connect to our cloud-based services through a site-to-site VPN.
Alternatives Considered:
- Third-Party MFA Solutions:
- Okta: Evaluated but deemed too costly. Recent customer data exposures at Okta also raised concerns about the security of their platform and its suitability for protecting our data.
- FusionAuth (Self-Hosted): Considered, but the additional operational burden of hosting and maintaining this solution was assessed to outweigh the benefits.
- Enhancing In-House Detection Models:
- We have been continuously improving our proprietary ML detection models with new data. However, the pace at which attackers adapt their GenAI-based models means our reactive enhancements are often insufficient to prevent circumvention.
Consequences:
Positive Consequences:
- Significantly Enhanced Security: Expect a drastic reduction in automated attacks, bot activity, and fraud due to the robust nature of in-person authentication (physical ID, biometric, and human verification).
- Increased Customer Trust & Confidence: The visible investment in security through physical presence and a controlled access environment is likely to increase customer trust.
- Improved Customer Support: Direct, in-person support can resolve complex issues more efficiently and satisfactorily than remote channels.
- Resilient Authentication Process: Security personnel, trained in behavior analysis and stationed at these physical locations, will be more resilient to manipulation and social engineering attempts, including man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Leveraging Existing Secure Environments: Locating centers in financial districts allows us to benefit from the existing high-security infrastructure present in these areas.
Negative Consequences & Mitigations:
- Scalability Limitations:
- Issue: Providing access to a geographically dispersed user base will be challenging with a limited number of physical sites.
- Mitigation: A phased rollout strategy will be implemented, starting with major regional locations where a high concentration of our customers is based. During the initial three-month launch period, shuttle services will be offered to customers in surrounding metro areas to improve accessibility.
- Customer Inconvenience:
- Issue: Requiring physical presence for authentication and platform access represents a higher barrier for customers compared to purely online methods. This may inconvenience users, particularly those distant from a center or with mobility challenges.
- Mitigation: Strategic selection of easily accessible locations. (This remains a significant trade-off inherent in the decision).
- Significant Cost:
- Issue: There will be substantial financial investment required for setting up, staffing, and maintaining these physical brick-and-mortar locations, including secure IT infrastructure, physical security measures, and specialized personnel.
- Implementation Time:
- Issue: The establishment of physical locations, secure site-to-site VPNs, and the recruitment and training of specialized personnel will be a time-consuming endeavor with a considerable lead time before the system is operational.
- Dependency on Physical Locations:
- Issue: Business continuity could be impacted if a physical location becomes temporarily inaccessible due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., power outages, local emergencies, damage to premises).
- Mitigation: (Further planning for business continuity and disaster recovery for these physical sites will be necessary).
- Potential for New Physical Security Risks:
- Issue: The physical premises themselves could become targets for different types of threats.
- Mitigation: Leveraging the existing security infrastructure of financial districts, implementing robust on-site security measures, and employing highly trained security personnel.
References: (None provided at this time)