Enhancing Payment Card Security: A Review of Technologies, Behavioral Factors, Threads and Protection Methods

In recent years, and with the rapid advancement of communication technologies, e-commerce, credit cards, and electronic payment methods have become among the most widely used tools in commercial transactions. This widespread adoption has led to the emergence of various risks and threats that have negatively affected cardholders, prompting researchers to develop advanced protection mechanisms and enhance awareness among users of these payment methods. Thus, this paper presents a review of electronic payment technologies and behavioral factors that shape cybersecurity outcomes in payment card systems. It presents a comprehensive analysis based on two key dimensions related to securing and protecting electronic payment cards. The first dimension examines the latest protection techniques and modern technologies integrated into electronic payment systems, while the second focuses on users’ knowledge levels and behavioral patterns and their impact on payment card security. Human behavior remains a decisive factor, encompassing users’ daily practices. By combining these two dimensions, this paper provides a critical analysis of the current landscape, highlighting the risks and threats arising from the imbalance between technological advancement and behavioral awareness. In addition, credit fraud and protection methods are presented.