Personally identifiable information

Apple's new credit card isn't just another virtual card in its virtual wallet. It borrows a lot of features from the most successful brands in payments and technology.

The ongoing availability of stolen account information used to perpetrate vishing and phishing was exacerbated by the Capital One data breach disclosed this week, affecting 100 million accounts, and is likely to increase fraud threats.

Consumers are looking forward to $125 settlement checks from Equifax Inc. stemming from a data breach two years ago. Hackers, however, are using the claims as another opportunity to steal their personal information.

The timing of the settlement serves as a warning to other companies of the risks they face in an increasingly data-focused economy.

The idea of a common digital identity for consumers has become more compelling amid the digitalization of the world's economy. Many bank and credit union executives consider it a natural fit, one the industry should be prepared to lead on.

Transit systems are attracting contactless payment technology, but there are other options on the horizon that could make boarding easier than tapping a card or smartphone — provided riders are comfortable with an experience like something out of Minority Report.

Facebook Inc. failed to fend off a lawsuit over a data breach that affected nearly 30 million users, one of several privacy snafus that have put the company under siege.

Facebook is focusing the initial discussions around its cryptocurrency project as a preemptive strike against the privacy and legal concerns the public and politicians have about the huge social network.

Long gone are the days when consumers had their Social Security and driver’s license numbers pre-printed on their paper checks for faster identity verification. Consumers now understand that such precious elements of their identity need to be better protected.

A report from the National Credit Union Administration’s Office of the Inspector General found the agency routinely failed to properly dispose of IT materials and spent roughly $440,000 on unnecessary equipment, among other findings.