Middle East Payment Services Selects Trustwave for PCI DSS Compliance Validation

SOURCE: Trustwave

  

CHICAGO, IL and AMMAN, JORDAN--(Marketwire - January 19, 2010) - Middle East Payment Services, a company dedicated to issuing and accepting mainly MasterCard payment cards, has selected Trustwave to provide Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance validation services. Trustwave is the leading provider of on-demand data security and payment card industry compliance management solutions to businesses and organizations throughout the world.



PCI DSS is the payment card industry security requirement for entities that store, process or transmit cardholder data, and has been endorsed by several major card brands -- Visa Inc., MasterCard Worldwide, Discover Network, American Express and JCB.



To validate compliance with the PCI DSS, Middle East Payment Services will have to demonstrate compliance with 12 security requirements by thoroughly reviewing its IT environment and information security policies and procedures. Middle East Payment Services has enrolled in Trustwave's on-demand compliance management solution TrustKeeper® to access the necessary automated tools to support on-going compliance such as quarterly network vulnerability scans. Trustwave will also remediate any vulnerabilities to help ensure secure transactions for all the customers using their payment gateway.



"We understand that protecting card holder data is imperative for our organization and we're proud to be one of the first service providers to initiate the PCI DSS compliance validation process," says Naser Abu Ghazaleh, General Manager at Middle East Payment Services. "Trustwave has the expertise and technology to help secure our organization and their local presence, along with the support of their Middle East partner Dima Solutions, will help us through that process."



"Initiating PCI DSS compliance validation is just another example of the leadership role taken by Middle East Payment Services," says Robert J. McCullen, chairman and CEO of Trustwave. "Through our partnership, Middle East Payment Services will utilize the latest security solutions that are proven to help mitigate risk, secure their network environment and protect their customers' data." "As the threat landscape continues to change, it's clear that security is critical to Middle East Payment Services," says Fayyaz Makhani, regional manager for Trustwave. "Trustwave's full suite of technology solutions will help protect cardholder data and maintain their compliance validation with the PCI DSS."

Visa Inc. Announces Results of Annual Meeting Stockholder Vote

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today held its annual meeting of stockholders in San Francisco, California.



The Company is pleased to announce that the stockholders approved the following:

• The election of Robert W. Matschullat, Cathy E. Minehan, David J. Pang, William S. Shanahan and John A. Swainson as Class III Directors to serve on the Company's board of directors until the Company's annual meeting in 2013; and


• The ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2010.

About Visa: Visa Inc. is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks--VisaNet--that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

Jack Henry & Associates to Provide Webcast of Second Quarter Fiscal 2010 Earnings Call

MONETT, Mo., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: JKHY), a leading provider of integrated technology solutions and data processing services for financial institutions, today announced that it will host a live Webcast of its second quarter fiscal 2010 earnings conference call on February 3, 2010. The press release announcing second quarter earnings will be issued after market-close on February 2, 2010.



The live Webcast, which will begin at 7:45 a.m. Central (8:45 a.m. Eastern), can be accessed on the Jack Henry Web site at www.jackhenry.com. Please log-on 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the call. An archived replay of the quarterly earnings call will be available on www.jackhenry.com approximately one hour after the live call.

About Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.®



Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: JKHY) is a leading provider of computer systems and ATM/debit card/ACH transaction processing services primarily for financial services organizations. Its technology solutions serve more than 11,300 customers nationwide, and are marketed and supported through three primary brands. Jack Henry Banking supports banks ranging from de novo to mid-tier institutions with information processing solutions. Symitar™ is the leading provider of information processing solutions for credit unions of all sizes. ProfitStars® provides highly specialized products and services that enable financial institutions of every asset size and charter, and diverse corporate entities to mitigate and control risks, optimize revenue and growth opportunities, and contain costs. Additional information is available at www.jackhenry.com.

BBB's Data Security - Made Simpler Initiative

BBB Initiative Arms Small Business Owners With the Tools to Protect Business and Customer Data



BBB's "Data Security—Made Simpler" provides free, easy-to-understand guidance and turn-key resources to help small business owners prevent a data breach



ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Better Business Bureau and partners Symantec Corporation, Visa Inc., Kroll's Fraud Solutions and NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association today launched a new national education initiative to help small business owners overcome any previous reluctance to taking the necessary steps to protect their sensitive customer and business data, so they won't become the next victim of a data breach.



Data security threats affecting small businesses are both external and internal, but many owners fail to recognize the potential for a breach or take the necessary protection steps until it's too late. The numbers:

• 33 percent of small businesses lack even simple antivirus protection. Source: Symantec Corporation, 2009
  
  


• 85 percent of data breaches occur at the small business level. Source: Visa Inc. September 2009


• 78 percent of consumers said they'd stop shopping at a store if they believed the store had experienced a card data compromise. Source: National survey of cardholders, Visa Inc., February 2009

"While data breaches affect businesses of all sizes, many small business owners aren't taking the necessary steps to create ongoing data security policies and practices, including training their employees," said Steve Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. "Many small business owners recognize the importance of data security but don't understand how vulnerable they really are, may feel intimidated by the issue or think that they lack the resources to implement a sound strategy. As a result, data thieves often target small business owners, stealing both the sensitive financial information of the business and its customers."



BBB's Data Security—Made Simpler provides small and medium business owners with the guidelines and right-size resources they need to build a data security plan and put it into action right away. BBB's Data Security—Made Simpler includes turn-key guidance to help small business owners:

• Identify their data loss vulnerability points -- electronic and paper-based


• Develop a data security policy that both protects sensitive data, ensures its availability and restricts access


• Identify and deploy the right kind of tools to protect sensitive data, based on their type of business


• Communicate their data protection policies to customers as a strategy to strengthen the business - customer trust relationship and differentiate their company from their competitors


• Know what to do if they believe they've been a victim of a data compromise

In addition to providing free and easy-to-understand guidance through www.bbb.org/data-security/, the network of community-based BBBs across North America -- as well as partners Visa Inc., Symantec Corporation and Kroll's Fraud Solutions -- will reach out to small businesses to encourage an increased focus on data security.



Data Security—Made Simpler was created by BBB in collaboration with two nationally recognized data security experts, Dana Rosenfeld and David Zetoony. Dana Rosenfeld, formally an assistant director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, is an attorney with Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. David Zetoony is an attorney with Bryan Cave LLP and has counseled dozens of companies on how to respond to data security breaches.



For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson on online and offline practices small business owners can do to protect their data, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.



About BBB



BBB, the leader in advancing marketplace trust, is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability Reports(TM) and charity BBB Wise Giving Reports(TM), and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is a difference in viewpoints. The organization is also a recognized leader in developing and administering self-regulation programs for the business community, and, with respect to the advertising industry, does that through a joint venture in conjunction with National Advertising Review Council partners. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 123 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than four million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.



About Visa Inc.



Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks -- VisaNet -- that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.



About Symantec Corporation



Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

TSYS Signs Agreement with Caterpillar Financial Services

COLUMBUS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TSYS announced today it has signed a multi-year payment services agreement with Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, the financial arm of Caterpillar Inc. Under terms of the agreement, TSYS’ industry leading TS2® platform will be used to process commercial credit accounts.



The agreement also includes TSYS CounterPASS, a Web-based virtual point-of-sale product, as well as internet-based reporting, statement and customer care services to support more than 900 Caterpillar dealer locations in the United States.



“This agreement is a testament to our continued commitment to innovation and customer service, and encompasses an enterprise-wide approach to providing Caterpillar Financial Services with support for its payments business,” said M. Troy Woods, president and chief operating officer of TSYS.



Terms of the long-term agreement were not released.



About TSYS



TSYS (NYSE: TSS) is one of the world’s largest companies for outsourced payment services, offering a broad range of issuer- and acquirer-processing technologies that support consumer-finance, credit, debit, healthcare, loyalty and prepaid services for financial institutions and retail companies in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. For more information contact news@tsys.com or log on to www.tsys.com. TSYS routinely posts all important information on its Web site.

Genetic Flaw Identified in Humans! (Password Required)

The Times published an article containing a claim that "a genetic flaw" (vs. "stupidity") is the reason people choose dumb passwords. They may be easy to remember,  but they are also easy to guess/steal.  Here's a snippet:  



The New York Times

Back at the dawn of the Web, the most popular account password was “12345.” Today, it’s one digit longer but hardly safer: “123456.”

  

Despite all the reports of Internet security breaches over the years, including the recent attacks on Google’s e-mail service, many people have reacted to the break-ins with a shrug. 



According to a new analysis, one out of five Web users still decides to leave the digital equivalent of a key under the doormat: they choose a simple, easily guessed password like “abc123,” “iloveyou” or even “password” to protect their data.



“I guess it’s just a genetic flaw in humans,” said Amichai Shulman, the chief technology officer at Imperva, which makes software for blocking hackers. “We’ve been following the same patterns since the 1990s.”



Mr. Shulman and his company examined a list of 32 million passwords that an unknown hacker stole last month from RockYou, a company that makes software for users of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. The list was briefly posted on the Web, and hackers and security researchers downloaded it. (RockYou, which had already been widely criticized for lax privacy practices, has advised its customers to change their passwords, as the hacker gained information about their e-mail accounts as well.)

The trove provided an unusually detailed window into computer users’ password habits. Typically, only government agencies like the F.B.I. or the National Security Agency have had access to such a large password list.

“This was the mother lode,” said Matt Weir, a doctoral candidate in the e-crimes and investigation technology lab at Florida State University, where researchers are also examining the data.



Imperva found that nearly 1 percent of the 32 million people it studied had used “123456” as a password. The second-most-popular password was “12345.” Others in the top 20 included “qwerty,” “abc123” and “princess.”

Continue Reading at the New York Times

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The Secure POS Vendor Alliance Broadens its International Reach with Five New Payment Company Members

Elavon, GHL Systems, ID TECH, Independent Purchasing Cooperative (IPC) and Voltage Security join an elite group of payment industry leaders



ATLANTA--(Payments Industry News Blog)--The inaugural year of the Secure POS Vendor Alliance (SPVA) wrapped up with the same enthusiasm with which it began – capped off by the membership of five more leading payment and enterprise security companies. Joining the SPVA are Elavon, ID TECH, Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Inc. (IPC), Voltage Security, Inc., and the first Asia-based company, GHL Systems Berhad.





“We welcome these new companies and applaud their efforts to join the conversation and dramatically impact the industry in the coming years.”



“We’re indeed pleased to be part of the SPVA. This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to ensure the highest levels of security and conforming to globally-recognized standards," said GHL Systems’ Vice President of Product Marketing & Strategic Alliances Jason Phua. “It is also vitally important that the aspirations of GHL Systems in the areas of payment security, as well as those of our customers, are represented.”



The SVPA is a non-profit business organization founded by Hypercom (NYSE: HYC), Ingenico S.A. (EURONEXT: ING) and VeriFone (NYSE: PAY) to advance compliance of existing payment card security standards, protect cardholder information and defend merchants and acquirers against security breaches. Membership is open to all vendors that develop secure POS payment systems or have products or solutions that interact with secure POS payment devices such as retailers, acquirers and banks.



Members of the SPVA are committed to ensuring best practice implementation and working to evolve security enhancements and interoperability required to reduce fraud and lower risk for all participants in card payment transactions.



“As we move into 2010, there is equally as much excitement and innovation in the payment industry as there is concern for security,” said Steven Hughes, SPVA president. “We welcome these new companies and applaud their efforts to join the conversation and dramatically impact the industry in the coming years.”



New associate members that have signed up with the SPVA since October 2009 include:



Elavon's Global Acquiring Solutions organization is a part of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB). Elavon provides end-to-end payment processing services to more than one million merchants in Europe, the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Solutions include credit and debit card processing, electronic check services, gift cards, dynamic currency conversion, multi-currency support, and cross-border acquiring. Elavon has solutions to meet the needs of merchants in specialized markets including small business, retail, hospitality/T&E, health care, education and the public sector. For more information visit www.elavon.com.



GHL Systems Berhad (“GHL Systems”), an MSC-status company listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange), is the Asia/Pacific region’s leading end-to-end payment services enabler that deploys world-class payment infrastructure, services and technology. GHL Systems’ complete portfolio of payment solutions include transaction routers and concentrators, terminal line encryption technologies, loyalty and online payment solutions, smartcard technologies, secure EDC networks and terminals to consulting services. By providing a broad range of services across the payment solutions spectrum, GHL Systems today deploys its products and services to multiple clients spread across various vertical segments in various countries all over the globe – not limited to banking and financial services institutions, telecommunications, transportation, retail and oil and gas. For more information on GHL Systems, visit www.ghl.com.



ID TECH is a privately held company with sales, manufacturing and research facilities around the world. The company has a well-established reputation for technical excellence through research and engineering design. Designing dependable, featurerich products has made ID TECH a leading supplier of magstripe and smart card readers, barcode readers, keyboards, PCI-compliant PIN pads, and other specialty products for OEMs, VARs, resellers, distributors, and key end users. ID TECH provides both standard and custom solutions to support customer requirements. Find more about ID TECH and locate a sales and product representative at www.idtechproducts.com.



Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Inc. (IPC) is an independent SUBWAY® franchisee-owned and operated purchasing cooperative. IPC negotiates the lowest cost for goods and services, while improving quality, enhancing competitiveness and ensuring the best value to SUBWAY® restaurants and their customers. Moreover, IPC is committed to delivering returns to its members year after year. By organizing as a cooperative, the business initiatives are set by the owner members and are benchmarked by the active participation of an elected Board of Directors. Working under the direction of the franchisee Board of Directors, IPC’ s Management Team carefully selects strong trading partners and manages the risks inherent to the costing and distribution of products and services in the food service industry. To learn more about IPC, visit www.ipc.com.



Voltage Security, Inc., an enterprise security company, is an encryption innovator and global leader in end-to-end data protection. Voltage solutions, based on next generation cryptography, provide end-to-end encryption, tokenization, masking and stateless key management for protecting valuable, regulated and sensitive information such as payment card data. Voltage products enable reduction in PCI audit scope with rapid implementation and the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry through the use of award-winning cryptographic solutions, including Voltage Identity-Based Encryption (IBE) and a new breakthrough innovation: Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE). Offerings include Voltage SecureMail, Voltage SecureData, Voltage SecureFile and the Voltage Security Network (VSN), an on-demand managed service for the extended business network. Voltage has also been issued several patents based upon breakthrough research in mathematics and cryptographic systems. Customers include Global 1000 companies in banking, retail, insurance, energy, healthcare and government. www.voltage.com.



To learn more about SPVA membership opportunities, visit www.spva.org.



About Secure POS Vendor Alliance (www.spva.org) The Secure POS Vendor Alliance (SPVA) is a non-profit organization, founded by Hypercom (NYSE: HYC), Ingenico S.A. (EURONEXT: ING) and VeriFone (NYSE: PAY), that works with the multiple stakeholders of the payment value chain. Its aim is to develop an end-to-end security framework and to enhance security elements of payment solutions which protect cardholder information and defend merchants and acquirers against security breaches, while helping reducing fraud and lowering risk for all electronic payment stakeholders.

Vietnam Plastic Card Market - Includes Future Forecast to 2013

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e5e944/vietnam_plastic_ca) has announced the addition of the "Vietnam Plastic Card Market Forecast to 2013" report to their offering.



Vietnam's payment card market is relatively small but one of the most dynamic markets in the world. The popularity of payment cards in Vietnam has soared significantly over the past couple of years. The cards are increasingly used in the number of shopping malls and various on-line portals that carry luxury or world-class brands of consumer goods. The market has grown nearly three-fold over the last two years ending August 2009. Debit cards dominate the market whereas credit cards are relatively new in the market and account just for 2% of the total market of payment cards in the country. Therefore, the market for credit cards remains largely untapped and full of opportunities.



As per findings of our report "Vietnam Plastic Card Market Forecast to 2013", with the growing consumer awareness, technological developments and emerging trend of e-commerce, there is ample scope for further developments in the Vietnamese payment cards market. The market is expected to grow at CAGR of about 20% during 2010-2013. Debit cards with domestic acceptance will continue dominating the market. However, credit cards and internationally accepted cards will still be left with plenty of miles to go.



The report provides an extensive research and rational analysis along with reliable statistics of the payment cards (debit as well as credit cards) market in Vietnam. It contains detailed analysis of emerging market trends, current developments and competitive landscape to enable clients better understand the market situation. Considering the recent developments and shift in macroeconomic factors, the report also features future outlook of the payment card industry, which will help clients in taking more rational investment decisions.



Moreover, "Vietnam Plastic Card Market Forecast to 2013" has special emphasis on the business profile of key players operating in the country. It has identified major players in each of the segments discussed in the report like debit cards, credit cards, etc. In addition to this, the report also focuses on the technological developments in the payment card market and tries to answer the crucial questions that concern every investor or player looking to enter the market. Key Topics Covered:

1. Analyst View


2. Macroeconomic Overview


3. Payment Card Industry Analysis to 2013


4. Major Card Issuers

Companies Mentioned:

• Vietcombank


• VietinBank


• Asian Commercial Bank


• Techcombank

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e5e944/vietnam_plastic_ca

TSYS Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Results

COLUMBUS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TSYS (NYSE: TSS) today reported results for the fourth quarter and full year 2009. On a constant currency basis, TSYS’ total revenues for 2009 were $1,734.9 million, an increase of 0.8%. On a reported basis, total revenues declined 2.0% for the year to $1,688.1 million.



On a constant currency basis, TSYS’ total revenues for the fourth quarter were $430.9 million, a decrease of 0.4% as compared to last year. On a reported basis, total revenues increased 0.5% for the quarter to $434.8 million.



Basic earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations were $0.31 for the fourth quarter, $0.01 ahead of consensus estimates and 9.0% below 2008. Full year EPS of $1.12 from continuing operations matched consensus estimates and was 11.2% below last year.



TSYS’ guidance for 2010 includes the impact of deconverted portfolios (whether as the result of bank failures, portfolio sales or otherwise), price compression, reduction in one-time termination fees and currency impact, and the current economic environment of the credit card market.

	2010 Guidance Range
	(in millions, except per share amounts)								Percent Change
Total revenues	$1,616			to	$1,648				(4	%)			to			(2	%)
Reimbursable items	$279			to	$284				3	%			to			5	%
Revenues before reimbursable items	$1,337			to	$1,364				(6	%)			to			(4	%)
Income from continuing operations	$187			to	$191				(15	%)			to			(13	%)
EPS from continuing operations	$0.95			to	$0.97				(15	%)			to			(14	%)
Average Shares Outstanding	197.7

“While 2010 is going to be a challenging year, we will continue to work aggressively to reduce our costs, including reducing staff, while expanding internationally and maintaining our technological advantage in the market place. We have an experienced and talented team at TSYS who will successfully execute our strategy to return growth to our business. In addition, with our strong balance sheet and cash flow, we will continue to aggressively pursue strategic acquisitions that diversify us and expand our presence in the payments processing business,” said Philip W. Tomlinson, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of TSYS.



Conference Call



TSYS will host its quarterly conference call at 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 20. The conference call can be accessed via simultaneous Internet broadcast at tsys.com by clicking on the link under "Webcasts" on the main homepage. The replay will be archived for 12 months and will be available approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the call. A slide presentation to accompany the call will be available by clicking on the link under "Webcasts" on the main homepage of tsys.com.



Want to see ALL the numbers?  Click here

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Heartland Bank and KeyBank Sued over HPY Settlement

At least five financial institutions are not HPY with Visa's Heartland settlement...



Bank Info Security dot com and Finextra are both reporting this morning that the Heartland Payment Systems settlement with Visa has resulted in a class action lawsuit against Heartland Bank and Key Bank.  Apparently enough financial institutions feel they were let off the hook...

Five financial institutions have filed a class action suit alleging that two acquiring banks, Heartland Bank and Key Bank, should be included as defendants and share responsibility for damages caused by the Heartland Payment Systems data breach.



Lone Star National Bank, PBC Credit Union, O Bee Credit Union, Seaboard Federal Credit Union and Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union filed the class action complaint in the U.S. Southern District Court in Houston, TX on Tuesday. Heartland Bank is based in St. Louis, MO, and Key Bank is based in Cleveland, OH.



The case was brought after a proposed $60 million Visa/Heartland data breach settlement, which would result in banks and credit unions accepting the offer receiving only "pennies on the dollar," according to one of the lawyers representing the financial institutions.



Visa estimates the losses because of the breach total $140 million, according to its Account Data Compromise Recovery (ACDR) formula, says Richard Coffman, co-lead counsel for the financial institutions in the class action suit. "That number is mythical and has nothing to do with reality," Coffman says, suggesting that the real losses aren't known by Visa. Coffman advises that affected institutions should review carefully the proposed settlement between Heartland and Visa. He says the proposed settlement has several weak points; namely it:

• Offers little money to the banks affected in the breach;


• Gives them little time to decide whether to take part in the settlement;


• Releases Heartland and other parties that may be liable.

Continue Reading at BankInfoSecurity.com

.

Here is more on the subject from Evan Schuman's Storefront Backtalk:

Some Banks Try Again For Class-Action Heartland Lawsuit

Written by Evan Schuman

January 21st, 2010



Shortly after Heartland tried to sweep away most of the lawsuits against with a series of recent negotiated settlements, a group of banks is trying to persuade other banks to reject the settlement offer and support a class-action lawsuit against Heartland.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday (Jan. 19), hit Heartland hard for “Heartland’s lack of Payment Card processing system security, its desire to use a ‘lowest bidder’ system of selecting its outsourced IT ‘auditors,’ its reliance on a ’snapshot’ telling it that, at one identifiable point in time its system supposedly complied with the bare minimum industry standards, its startlingly poor IT oversight in general, and (Heartland’s) complete and utter disregard of the oversight responsibilities they had to their fellow members of the Associations that allowed the intruders to make trip after trip in and out of the Heartland Payment Card processing system.”



Continue Reading at StorefrontBacktalk.com

Hundreds of Websites Defaced after Network Solutions Breach

Help Net Security reports a major US hosting provider and domain registrar has been breached leading to the defacement of hundreds of customer websites.  One of the more disturbing features of this breach was the fact that two simple words accompanied the defacement:  Those two words?  "Allahu Akba".



Here's a snippet from HNS:



Networks Solutions breached, hundreds of sites defaced



Network Solutions, the well-known U.S. hosting provider and domain registrar that manages over 6.6 million domain names, confirmed on Tuesday that their servers have been breached and that a few hundred of their customer's web sites have been defaced by unknown attackers who have replaced the home pages with the picture depicted on the left. 



Brian Krebs reports that the writing supposedly contains anti-Israeli sentiments and attributes the hacking to one "CWkomando". According to the Minnesota’s 8th District chapter of the Republican Party - whose web page has also been hit - the writing contains words "For Palestine" and "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic).



Continue Reading