Trusted second channel
What is a trusted second channel for business verification?
A trusted second channel is a separately established way to confirm a sensitive request with the right person, using a known phone number, approved account, or documented process instead of the message, link, caller, or contact details that delivered the request.
What the business should be able to see
- Use it for payment changes, password resets, urgent access, bank details, tax records, confidential files, and executive requests.
- Build the verification path before an urgent request arrives and give staff permission to pause the transaction.
- Record what was verified, by whom, through which approved channel, and what happened next without storing unnecessary sensitive detail.
What this definition cannot establish
- A second message in the same compromised inbox, chat, or conversation is not an independent channel.
- Verification does not replace financial controls, authorization, fraud response, legal obligations, or incident handling.