Data security

Banks give a lot of reasons for providing chip cards that work with signatures, rather than four-digit PIN codes, but none of them are convincing.

The goal of adopting chip cards — to provide tighter security — is a noble one. But by going partway, authorizing transactions with signatures rather than four-digit codes, banks are watering down that security, at least for lost and stolen cards.

At long last, the National Retail Federation has won the support of several U.S. attorneys general in its demand for chip and PIN security at the point of sale. But even this isn't enough.

Regions Financial in Birmingham, Ala., has hired FBI veteran John Boles to oversee its investigations of cybersecurity and international threats.

As shopping gets more digital, so does fraud. The rise in technology at shoppers' fingertips provides many new channels for scammers to exploit.

The United States and United Kingdom recently published detailed money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments identifying both law enforcement and national security challenges.

Black Friday will mark a new milestone this year, when mobile devices for the first time will account for about half of all online purchases during the first weekend of the holiday shopping frenzy, according to a new study.

Malware is a topic that everyone is talking about. Giant movie studio’s network is hacked? The attackers used malware. Big retailer’s point-of-sale system is breached? Malware did it. Hackers breached ATMs at multiple banks? They used malware.

The New York Department of Financial Services' letter indicating potential cyber rules are prompting concerns that the state's plans could lead to more stringent measures throughout the industry.

A man accused of operating a bitcoin exchange allegedly owned by the mastermind of a criminal enterprise that hacked at least nine big financial institutions and publishing firms, including JPMorgan Chase, pleaded not guilty to money laundering.

Business is booming for the online gaming industry, to the tune of billions of dollars worldwide each year.

The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which has advanced far on Capitol Hill, promises to help businesses and government thwart cybercriminal attacks. But privacy advocates say the bill would make misuse of consumer data even easier.

The recent uptick in cyberattacks, including the hack of extramarital dating site Ashley Madison, is making companies tighten their Web security and driving up demand for cybersecurity providers.

A point-of-sale malware that steals payment card data has resurfaced after a few years with a diabolical twist — it cleans up its crime scene, making it difficult for businesses to realize their networks are infected.

The October 2015 “liability shift” date has come and gone. For years leading up to it finance and payments pundits (and eventually the general population) discussed the impact of this date to force merchants to migrate to EMV-enabled credit cards, from the decades old magnetic stripe standard.

Customer expectations for digital are a moving target, and banks and their vendors are quickly trying to figure out which products and services to add next.

In a few instances, banks have temporarily blocked data aggregators from screen scraping customers' bank account information. Are the banks exercising appropriate judgment or obstructing potential competitors?

While cybersecurity has already been part of bank exams for years, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is highlighting it as a separate comment in order to ensure the issue is getting appropriate attention from bank executives and boards.

The EMV migration in the U.S. has been slow, but there are technology alternatives that allow for fast and accurate deployment of chip cards.

Criminals hoodwinked banks, credit-card networks and a payment-security firm while moving hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the U.S. government. It won't be easy to stop it from happening again.