Data security

A group of rival trade associations have put aside their differences and come together to emphasize to Congress the need for increased standards for retailers.

The Trump administration is making more than 80 recommendations to encourage financial innovation within a regulated space, including endorsing the creation of a federal fintech charter.

In a post-Equifax world, independent sales organizations, acquirers and payment processors are under much more scrutiny over merchant account applications and underwriting.

Merchants looking at third-party fraud services should also for detailed information regarding their modus operandi and results, including the steps they take to protect clients' data, according to Bernardo Lustosa, co-founder and COO of ClearSale.

A community bank in Virginia thought the $2.4 million hackers stole from its customers would be fully covered by its insurance policy, but its carrier begged to differ. Their highly technical legal fight is a cautionary tale for all bankers who assume they are sufficiently covered.

Small banks are being warned to slow down mobile tool development and check vendor arrangements, as researchers repeatedly find vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

The ongoing threat of data breaches serves as a reminder that every business is subject to PCI DSS compliance, no matter their size. Any company that handles cardholder data in any way must adhere to PCI DSS standards, which can be time-consuming and expensive, writes Matt VanderZwaag, director of product development at US Signal.

Forget the stereotype that a cybercriminal has to be tech-savvy to get the job done. Their true gift is in social engineering.

The hack's core trick highlights an area of cybersecurity which is often neglected: hardware connected to computer networks which laymen wouldn’t normally consider a computer.

Rather than ban screen scraping, financial institutions should improve secure account connectivity so that consumers can share data with the apps they want to use.

Multifactor authentication is table stakes in today's breach-heavy environment. Falling short of that standard creates a dangerously high threat, according to David Vergara, head of security product marketing for OneSpan.

Europe's new data privacy rules have forced banks to get creative to protect sensitive data from in appropriate access or breaches.

Within hours of learning about the breach, Brinker International, parent company of the Chili’s chain, issued a news release, website notice and social media advisories informing consumers and other interested parties of the incident, writes John Gunn, CMO of OneSpan.

The regulatory relief law passed this spring contained a measure to stop synthetic fraud, but the provision is incomplete.

Tokenization as a technology is suitable to support multiple payment use cases via a single system, ensuring emerging commercial models and the ability to adapt to new requirements are not constrained by an inflexible security framework, writes David Worthington, vice president of payments at Rambus.

The regulatory relief law passed this spring contained a measure to stop synthetic fraud, but the provision is incomplete.

Overreliance on the smartphone risks mistaking device authentication for user authentication.

The Bank Policy Institute was formed following the merger of The Clearing House Association and the Financial Services Roundtable.

Rather than ban screen scraping, financial institutions should improve secure account connectivity so that consumers can share data with the apps they want to use.

If fintechs can prove effective at overcoming fraud challenges as they scale their customer base, they’ll be able to better capitalize on their unique position of operating independent of legacy platforms as they create a more financially connected consumer experience, writes Dave Excell, founder and CTO of Featurespace.