Data security

Facebook Connect, which lets Internet users log into other websites by typing their Facebook credentials, seems to be everywhere. But perhaps it should not be in mobile payments, SCVNGR's LevelUp has decided.

As more detail comes to light about how Target's data breach occurred, retailers need to completely rethink their approach to protecting card data.

First Data is partnering with The Members Group to offer financial institutions a streamlined process for issuing EMV-chip cards.

Feedzai is attempting to sell the U.S. on a multichannel approach to card data security in the wake of the recent data breaches afflicting major retailers.

Payment infrastructure systems provider Pay.On plans to combine its distribution network with that of fraud prevention specialist Kount.

The number of fraud victims is dramatically increasing, indicating that consumers and the payments industry as a whole have to become more vigilant in their security, new research says.

Target Corp. will move toward EMV smartcards and chip-and-PIN technology at least six months sooner than the card networks' October 2015 timeline for the security measure, says John Mulligan, Target's chief financial officer.

Federal legislation is needed to enhance cyber-threat information sharing so that good-faith responsive actions and information sharing will not trigger legal liability.

Congress is hearing two sides to the story about the role the card networks' Payment Card Industry data security standard has in fighting fraud.

Clinkle, the well-funded mobile payments startup staffed by former executives of PayPal, Netflix and other e-commerce companies, appears to have had data leaked from its person-to-person payments app, exposing personal information and photos of some of the company's employees.

The likes of Apple and Amazon are becoming bigger threats to incumbent payments companies, but MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga says his company views these players as potential allies.

Acquirers and independent sales organizations can generate more revenue by closely studying what security levels their merchants need, according to a new survey.

The recent spate of retailer data breaches demonstrates the need to embrace security methods such as EMV-chip cards and tokenization to protect transactions, Visa CEO Charlie Scharf told investors on Jan. 30.

Merchants can't pass the blame for data breaches onto financial institutions because protecting consumers is a shared responsibility where both sides have to meet their responsibilities.

PayPal says it did not divulge credit card information from a customer who contends PayPal exploited in a scheme to force him to give up his Twitter handle, "@N."

Total System Services CEO Phil Tomlinson took time out from discussing record revenue during the payments processor's Jan. 28th earnings call to proclaim his company safe from the slate of recent data breaches that have afflicted Target and other retailers.

Michaels is investigating a possible data security attack, CEO Chuck Rubin said in a letter to customers.

While this still hinders some customers' adoption of their bank or credit union's mobile bill pay offerings, in reality, today's technology has made mobile bill pay more secure and easier than ever before.

Retailers are letting Congress know they support federal efforts to thwart cybercrime, while voicing their support of chip-based EMV smartcards combined with PIN authentication as a defense against future breaches.

Major bank and retail card issuers are lacking in key security areas, according to a new study from Javelin Strategy and Research.