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Retail

PCI releases help for retailers using mobile to take sales

Dan Kaplan May 16, 2012

The body that manages debit and credit card security standards on Wednesday released best practices for retailers wishing to accept payments via mobile devices.

Wrigley Field fans targeted by skimming scam

Dan Kaplan May 02, 2012

A group of six has been charged in the latest scam to defraud bank customers through the use of skimming devices, a trend that has seen a noticeable uptick in arrests and prosecutions over the past year.

Trojan designed to take screenshots of hotel payment apps

Dan Kaplan April 19, 2012

A new development in the criminal underground is to peddle trojans that steal credit card data from hotels.

Maryland man receives 66 months for credit card skimming

Dan Kaplan March 26, 2012

A 33-year-old Maryland man on Friday was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for participating in an identity theft and credit card skimming scheme, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Alexandria, Va.

Breaches aided by weak passwords, poor AV detection

Dan Kaplan February 09, 2012

Trustwave's annual review of its data breach response investigations concluded that franchises are now the prime target for hackers seeking customer data, such as credit card numbers.

MasterCard announces product future around EMV

Greg Masters February 07, 2012

The EMV standard, widely considered an effective way to curb counterfeit card fraud because it requires a microchip to be embedded in a credit or debit card or on a mobile device, is gradually picking up steam in the U.S.

Visa advises on more secure credit card transactions

Dan Kaplan January 16, 2012

Visa has issued best practices that detail how retailers, card issuers and processors can upgrade their credit card transaction technology to a chip-based model, so to avoid burdensome complexity, cost and time to market.

Zappos breach affects 24M, opens door for more attacks

Greg Masters January 16, 2012

Hackers breached a server belonging to online retailer Zappos and made off with the personal information of 24 million customers, though no credit card numbers were involved.

Hackers steal 200,000 card numbers from wholesaler

Angela Moscaritolo December 19, 2011

Hackers breached the systems of New York-based food services wholesaler Restaurant Depot, and stole hundreds of thousands of credit and debit card numbers.

Online privacy and security breeds customer confidence

Chris Babel, CEO, TRUSTe December 09, 2011

Studies show that online consumers are concerned about security and privacy. That means web retailers must ensure they are taking all the steps necessary to ensure a safe and transparent shopping experience.

Four charged with hacking Subway, other retailers

Angela Moscaritolo December 09, 2011

The defendants allegedly compromised the credit card data of 80,000 customers and made millions of dollars in unauthorized purchases.

Vandals hack checkout terminals at California supermarkets

Dan Kaplan December 08, 2011

As of Monday, at least 80 people were victimized by credit and debit card readers being tampered with.

Holiday folly for retailers with DNS glitches

Sean Leach, vice president of strategy, VeriSign Network Intelligence and Availability Group November 22, 2011

Proper DNS management by organizations is critical to protecting against threats and staying online during the busy holiday months.

Another PlayStation Network breach stings Sony customers

Dan Kaplan October 12, 2011

Sony's PlayStation Network again has been hit by hackers, but the limited damage that resulted could point to strides being made by the electronics giant.

Hacker attacks against retailers up 43 percent

Angela Moscaritolo October 12, 2011

Much of the surge can be blamed on SQL injection and the use of exploit toolkits, according to researchers at Dell SecureWorks.

More than 100 charged in ID theft ring

Angela Moscaritolo October 10, 2011

The organized structure of a huge identity theft operation, based in New York, allowed members to make millions in profits.

Microsoft adds "major" update to detect Zeus trojan

Dan Kaplan September 15, 2011

Microsoft has introduced a "fairly major" update to its Malicious Software Removal Tool to detect and kill infections of the insidious and constantly morphing data-stealing malware family known as Zbot, or Zeus. Since the software giant first added detection for Zeus last October, hundreds of thousands of Windows PCs have been expunged of the threat, prominent in banking and e-commerce fraud. But as Zeus, which recently merged code bases with SpyEye, continues to acquire advanced evasion capabilities, Microsoft has had to fight "sneakiness with sneakiness," according to a blog post on Wednesday. The company introduced the update as part of its monthly security patches, released on Tuesday.

Former DHS official tapped to lead security at Sony

Dan Kaplan September 06, 2011

Much-maligned Sony announced Tuesday that it has hired a former U.S. cybersecurity official to serve as its first-ever chief information security officer. Philip Reitinger, 49, the former director of the National Cybersecurity Center at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since June 2009, who tendered his resignation in May, will be tasked with assuring the protection of the multibillion dollar company's assets and services. It's been a tough year for Sony, which has experienced multiple breaches, most notably the compromise of its PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, which resulted in the exposure of the personal details of tens of millions of users. Reitinger has been in the private sector before, where he held the role of security strategist at Microsoft.

Experts warn of attacks as more Epsilon victims emerge

Angela Moscaritolo April 06, 2011

Fallout continues, and new corporate victims come to light after the massive breach of an email marketing services provider.

Former Gucci insider charged with hacking network

Angela Moscaritolo April 05, 2011

A former network engineer at Gucci has been charged with hacking into the company's network, deleting data and shutting down servers and networks.

A slew of banks, retailers affected by Epsilon email breach

Angela Moscaritolo April 04, 2011

A growing list of companies, including Capital One, U.S. Bank, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, are notifying customers that their email addresses were stolen by hackers.

Scaled down, armored up: Small and midsized business protection

Angela Moscaritolo April 01, 2011

For many small and midsize businesses, neglecting IT security is a thing of the past, reports Angela Moscaritolo.

VeriFone, Square at odds over refuted security flaw

Angela Moscaritolo March 10, 2011

Mobile payment service startup Square has refuted claims made by a competitor that its card reader could easily be turned into a skimmer capable of stealing financial and personal information.

eHarmony advice site hacked to expose user information

Angela Moscaritolo February 11, 2011

eHarmony has confirmed that a hacker recently gained access to a file containing user information, weeks after another popular dating site was compromised.

An independent approach to PCI audit security and compliance

Dave Greenstein, chief architect, StillSecure February 04, 2011

The PCI Data Security Standard assessment process must change, or the payment industry faces an ethical bind.

Dating site PlentyOfFish hacked to expose passwords

Dan Kaplan January 31, 2011

The credentials of nearly 30 million online daters are at risk following the exploit of a common website vulnerability. The exact circumstances of the incident remain in question.

Views regarding PCI compliance are mostly positive

Angela Moscaritolo January 12, 2011

A new survey from Cisco reveals that organizations are getting better at handling their obligations to meet payment industry security guidelines.

Visa strengthens its network fraud detection

Dan Kaplan January 07, 2011

Visa has enhanced the security of its electronic credit card authorization system, known as VisaNet, to improve the speed and accuracy of fraud detection, the card brand announced Thursday. Earlier this year, Visa improved the processing platform of its Advanced Authorization technology so that it can analyze more information and perform more functions faster. "This provides Visa with a comprehensive view into the global payments system, leading to high levels of intelligence around spending patterns and improving the company's ability to detect and prevent fraud in near real-time," Visa said. The company believes the improvements could lead to a 29 percent gain in fraud detection over 2009. - DK

DHS zeroing in on Vietnamese-based fraud ring

Angela Moscaritolo January 04, 2011

Operation eMule is targeting a Vietnamese-based fraud operation believed to have duped U.S. retailers out of millions of dollars.

Standing up for the freedom of information, with the help of a security bug

Dan Kaplan December 28, 2010

In this instance, the public fervor isn't over the release of secret diplomatic cables but a U.K. academic paper detailing a vulnerability in chip-and-PIN.