Monday, February 1, 2010

Feature Story: Is Online PIN Debit More Secure?



The GreenSheet asks:  "Is online PIN debit more secure?"   The Answer is a hearty Yes...and a blatant "No".

 

Yes... "IF"  online shoppers swipe their card and enter thier PIN on a PCI 2.0 Certified PIN Entry Device which instantly encrypts the cardholder data including the PVKI  and PVI, both of which are required to conduct a genuine PIN Debit transaction. 



However, it's "NO" if  consumers are asked to "TYPE" their card numbers into a box on a website and "mouse click" their PINs into a GUI. 



I'm not picking on Acculynk.  I love what they've done to heighten the realization of merchants to want PIN Debit on the Web.   I'm just saying there's two ways to go about it, and a software based PIN Debit solution simply won't cut it in the real world (wide web)  It's too fraught with insecurity. 



Let me ask you a serious question:  "How long do you really think it would take the bad guys to put together a malware program designed to capture mouse clicks as you enter them on into a graphical user interface?"   The short answer, is NOT LONG.   In fact, the Limbo 2 trojan can already intercept mouse clicks and Acculynk is only accepted at 7 online sites (out of millions)  Wait until they have a significant amount of merchants.  Then you'll see the bad guys come out of the wood work.



Do you really believe that if Acculynk was available at thousands of internet retail checkouts, hackers wouldn't "target" them?   (for those who answered "no" let me ask again after pointing out that a consumers "PIN" is the Holy Grail for hackers.)   The bad guys would "scramble" to compete with each other in order to be the first to create a trojan that intercepts each "mouse click" in order to obtain that "Holy Grail."



Bottom Line: If you can see the GUI on your screen, so can the bad guys.  Don't believe me?   Doesn't matter...in time you will.  




As a debate unfolds about the competing merits of PIN versus signature debit, (there's no debate...Genuine PIN Debit is 15 times more secure than signature debit) a company called Acculynk has emerged as a pioneer in the use of PIN debit online.  Acculynk's product, called PaySecure, gives consumers the option of using PIN debit when they make online purchases.  (Editor's Note:  No...it gives consumers the option of mouse-clicking their PIN into a floating PIN pad...it doesn't give them the option of using PIN Debit because genuine PIN Debit "requires" that the card is swiped and Acculynk doesn't capture the magnetic stripe data.  Therefore, PaySecure is simply an alternative payment that allows consumers to mouseclick their PIN into a browser window.  Make sure your javascript is enabled, or the pop up PIN Pad won't pop up)





Consumers who enter (Stop with the "enter" B.S....  "Consumers who TYPE" ) their debit information on a Web site using PaySecure are (subject to the dangerous insecurity of web browsers)  shown a graphical PIN pad following the entry of their card information, and are given the option to have their transaction processed as (a hybrid) PIN debit. Those who opt against it have their transaction processed as a signature debit and go directly to a purchase confirmation page; those who choose the PIN option enter their PIN by clicking their mouse on the graphical PIN pad.





PaySecure includes a feature that scrambles the PIN pad numbers following each numerical entry, to avoid interception of that information by a keystroke reader. (Editor's Note:  And how do they do what nobody else has been able to do...make the browser safe from keystroke/mouse click loggers) The information is masked on the monitor (then how does the consumer see it?  They do...and so can the bad guys) and encoded (when is it encoded and why isn't it "encrypted" instead?)  within the network (browser) over which it's transmitted. 





Plane rides and jelly beans



According to Acculynk, seven merchants are currently processing with PaySecure, which hit the market in March 2009. 



Editor's Admittedly Sarcastic Note:  According to my calculations, it's been 11 months since March of 2009 and they already have SEVEN merchants.  That equivocates to .636 participating merchants per month.  So...at the current pace, Acculynk will reach the 1000 merchant plateau in only 1572 more months.  (A mere 131 years for those who were curious)


Among them are AirTran Airways and the Jelly Belly candy company. Two merchant vendors are currently selling the product: Merchant e-Solutions Inc. and Elavon Inc.



According to Kevin Gallagher, General Manager, E-Commerce, for Merchant e-Solutions, trends giving rise to the use of PIN debit include both the increased use of debit cards generally, as well as heightened security concerns among both merchants and consumers.



"The shift over the last few years from credit to debit is really driving this to be potentially a gangbuster product," Gallagher said. He added that PIN offerings can "open up a channel for incremental business because there are about 80 million debit holders that are only PIN-enabled for debit."







PaySecure uses the electronic funds transfer (EFT) network operated by providers like Discover Financial Services' Pulse, NYCE Payments Network LLC and Shazam. Interchange rates for online PIN debit transactions on these networks are substantially lower than those for online signature debit.



"What Acculynk does is become the stand-in for every issuer that agrees to [offer online PIN debit], and most issuers would because it's a transaction they don't get today," said Steve Mott, founder and Principal of BetterBuyDesign, a payments industry consulting company.



"The Acculynk rate is significantly less than what the signature debit rate is and what the standard STAR or NYCE rate would be if it goes directly through the issuer," Mott said. "Acculynk is doing a separate deal through the EFT network with the issuers. It's like a separate payment service, the same way PayPal does it. Most of these alternative payment forms usually give you a 20 to 25 basis point reduction from the signature debit rate." 



(Editor's Note:  The Acculynk rate is significantly "higher" than genuine PIN Debit.  In fact it's higher than "card present" interchange because...the card is NOT present.  It is "typed" into a box in a browser.)



According to Acculynk Chief Executive Officer Ashish Bahl, transaction fees for merchants are 20 to 40 percent lower with PaySecure than with online signature transactions. He added that about half of all PaySecure customers, given the option of signature or PIN debit online, choose PIN debit.



Mott said PIN debit transactions benefit consumers because they tend to clear faster than signature ones. He said most banks clear PIN debit transactions within a day of purchase, whereas signature debit transactions (which tend to run on the Visa Inc./MasterCard Worldwide rails) generally take two to three days to clear. Within that extended timeframe, consumers are more likely to overdraw their bank accounts, he said.



Fraud fighter?



Both Gallagher and Mott touted the fraud-fighting benefits of online PIN debit as well, although the capacity of a program like PaySecure to reduce fraud in today's e-commerce environment is questionable.







For one, Gallagher said merchants who adopt the program invariably maintain a non-PIN payment option; given that they do, the PIN feature would seem to do very little to protect against traditional fraudsters, who can simply choose the non-PIN payment option when committing fraud with stolen debit card numbers.



Despite that danger, Gallagher said the benefits to merchants of using multiple payment channels outweigh fraud concerns. "As a merchant, you probably don't want to turn away anyone that wouldn't want to use the PIN debit option," he said. "Lost sales are worse than whatever extra basis points you would have to pay [for a signature or non-authenticated transaction]."



However, both Gallagher and Mott said even just having the option of PIN debit helps guard against one type of fraud in particular: "friendly fraud," or the practice of making an authorized purchase and then disavowing it.



Consumers who use the PIN option, they said, will have a harder time committing friendly fraud because they've entered a password theoretically known only to the card's real owner, making it much more difficult to credibly disavow a purchase.



"What you're really trying to do with the PIN debit is get the purchaser to own the transaction and not be able to repudiate it," Mott said. "When you're [entering PIN information], unless somebody's holding a gun to your head and making you enter it, you pretty much own the transaction." 





Editor's Insert:  "Users are more at risk from malicious websites that steal credit cards than ever before, according to the latest
IBM X-Force 2009 Mid-Year Trend and Risk reportThe report's findings show an unprecedented state of insecurity as web client, server and content threats converge to create an untenable risk landscape.  (click here to read the story at ComputerWeekly)



Mott conceded that more rational friendly fraudsters could circumvent trouble by using the non-PIN payment option, but said that not everyone would. He said sometimes friendly fraud isn't planned, and that charges are often refuted out of embarrassment or some unforeseen circumstance.





Mott added that PaySecure could set the stage for a shift to the exclusive use of PIN debit online.


"With this, somebody like Acculynk and somebody like NYCE or PULSE can go to the issuer and say, 'All the bad guys are using signature debit, and you think you're getting more money on interchange [with signature] … but after you deduct all the chargebacks and charge-offs from the signature debit, you're really better off doing a PIN transaction," Mott said.



Fraud's hidden costs



Mott noted that "PIN debit is significantly the most popular form of payment for both consumers and merchants," and that issuers that favor signature for its higher interchange aren't always correctly calculating the total costs of additional fraud.



"It's not just the direct losses, but it causes all this noise – the customer service and all this stuff – and now you have a bigger problem on the consumer side," he said.










Tech Vendor Wins Biometric Contactless Card Project





PaymentsSource | Monday, February 1, 2010



Chip card maker Bartronics India Ltd. has won a contract to provide cards and card readers for a smart card-based project that includes fingerprint biometrics for India's vast unbanked rural population, an official from the India-based vendor tells PaymentsSource.



“We have won the contract from the five associate regional banks of the State Bank of India,” he says.



According to the official, the project will cover villages in the operating area of the banks. “Our mandate is to issue 640,000 biometric contactless smart cards by March of this year,” he adds. “Villagers will be able to use their biometric cards at readers carried by correspondents of these banks to transact and also to access wages paid under social welfare schemes.”



View the Press Release from Bartronics (PDF)

Vishing Hit's Banking Customers in Four More States

Five Institutions Say Customers Received Fraudulent Calls


Last month I mentioned that a credit union customers in two states were being targeted by phone based phishing.  CU Info Security is saying that we can "Add four more states to the list of those whose banking customers are being struck by telephone-based phishing attacks." I've included a link below to an actual recording of a "vishing" attack.  Click to go to CUInfoSecurity.com and listen to it.



Financial institutions in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Mississippi report being hit by these "vishing" attacks in the past two weeks. Five different institutions -- three credit unions and two banks - say their customers have received vishing calls from fraudsters.

Read Entire Article









Monopoly's 75th Anniversary Makeover is Circular with Chip and PIN

Parker Brothers/Hasbro is celebrating Monopoly's 75th Anniversary with a makeover.



No more Monopoly Money...instead it will be available with a Chip and Pin credit card that has to be swiped on the central console.



Which leads me to question whether American's will still be able to play? No worries, they can always play online with the card numbers they got from forums and simply type in the numbers when it's time to buy Boardwalk and Park Place.





Oh and it's sleek design is circular...no more square...














BullMarket.com Previews Earnings for Visa, MasterCard...

PRINCETON, N.J., PRNewswire/ -- BullMarket.com (http://www.bullmarket.com), an online investment newsletter focused on long-term growth and income-generating stocks, has provided subscribers with earnings previews of several stocks, including Visa (NYSE: V), MasterCard (NYSE: MA), Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM), and United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), among others.



All paid and trial subscribers to BullMarket.com can now receive immediate access to the newsletter's exclusive daily reports. As a subscriber, you'll also gain access to our Recommended List of stocks, which was up 40% in 2009 and also outperformed the S&P by 15% in 2008.



Start your 14-day free trial today:https://www.bullmarket.com/subscribe/pr/?refer=BMR681P



In its earnings previews, BullMarket.com:

  • provides historical earnings data and EPS trends

  • examines past investor reactions to earnings in various contexts

  • gives options activity analysis

  • reviews previous-quarter earnings

  • and gives an opinion on both what earnings will look like and how investors will react based on the aforementioned data points

A few of the correct calls BullMarket.com made last week based on the data were that:

  • Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) would cruise past estimates and the stock would rise the next session

  • Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) looked poised for a fall

  • guidance could be an issue that sends Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) lower

  • investors should lean bullish ahead of Green Mountain's (Nasdaq: GMCR) earnings.

About BullMarket.com:

Launched in 1997, BullMarket.com has a strong track record of creating wealth for its subscribers by providing sound, long-term investing advice. The BullMarket.com Recommended List includes about 50 companies across all major industries, including Financials, Healthcare, Energy, Technology, and Retail, among others. BullMarket.com is one of the oldest continuously published investment newsletters online, and its Recommended List has consistently outperformed the major market indices.





Global Payments Announces Second Quarter Dividend

Image representing Global Payments as depicted...Image via CrunchBase
ATLANTA, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leader in electronic transaction payment processing, announced today that its board of directors approved fiscal 2010 second quarter dividend of $0.02 per common share payable February 26, 2010 to shareholders of record as of February 15, 2010.



Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of electronic transaction processing services for merchants, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), financial institutions, government agencies and multi-national corporations located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Global Payments offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards, electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. Visit www.globalpaymentsinc.com for more information about the company and its services.





AuthenTec Rejects Unsolicited Proposal from UPEK



MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Directors of AuthenTec (NASDAQ: AUTH), the world’s leading provider of smart sensors and solutions, today issued the following statement in response to the proposal by UPEK to combine the businesses of AuthenTec and UPEK and the nomination by UPEK of a slate of individuals for election to replace the AuthenTec Board of Directors:



After careful consideration of the UPEK proposal with our financial and legal advisors, the Board of Directors determined that this highly dilutive and speculative transaction is not in the best interests of AuthenTec’s stockholders.



As active participants in the same industry, AuthenTec and its Board are very familiar with UPEK. The Board rejects the proposal on the basis of its inadequate financial terms and a lack of confidence in UPEK’s financial position. Furthermore, the failure of UPEK to provide any information to AuthenTec’s stockholders on its financial performance, prospects or value makes it impossible for our stockholders to evaluate UPEK’s proposal.



The Board believes that the special dividend payment contemplated in UPEK’s proposal would leave the combined company without the financial resources necessary to execute on its strategic objectives and without the capacity to extract potential synergies. AuthenTec’s balance sheet and cash position represent important competitive advantages in the current economic environment. If effected, this special dividend would come solely from AuthenTec’s cash, with no financing or cash provided by UPEK. Moreover, the Board believes that the 50/50 equity split proposed by UPEK significantly overstates the value that UPEK would bring to the combined company and that the proposal relating to contingent value rights is highly speculative and potentially of little value to AuthenTec stockholders.



The Board also notes that UPEK’s unsolicited proposal followed within days of a January 23rd letter from AuthenTec to UPEK informing UPEK of AuthenTec’s claim that UPEK products infringe five (5) AuthenTec patents. We had hoped to discuss this in a professional manner as we had provided UPEK thirty (30) days to respond to our letter.



The Board and management are committed to continuing to act in the best interests of AuthenTec’s stockholders.



America’s Growth Capital is AuthenTec’s financial advisor, and Alston & Bird LLP and Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP are the outside legal counsel to AuthenTec.



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TrialPay Helps Close Customers with Targeted Valentines Day Promo's

http://www.trialpay.com/go/valentinesTechies: “Close the Deal” on Valentine’s Day

TrialPay Helps Software Companies, Game Developers and other Techies Close Customers With Targeted Valentine’s Day Promotions


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If the stereotype rings true, techies have always had a tough time “closing the deal” on Valentine’s Day. But they won’t this year.



Once identified as geeks and nerds, these same people are now responsible for the most innovative software companies, online games and technology-related businesses. This year, TrialPay can change their past memories of Valentine’s Day, by turning it into a time where they “close the deal” tens, maybe hundreds, of times during the month of February.



By helping techies -- and their companies -- cross-promote seasonal products, TrialPay dramatically increases the ability to close a customer. For example, the Society of American Florists estimates that nearly one-third of all adults purchase flowers for Valentine’s Day. TrialPay’s partners use that fact to create an offer that shoppers can’t refuse: “buy flowers through us, and get your software or game for free.”



Through existing partnerships with companies like FTD.com and ProFlowers, companies that wish to implement a Valentine’s Day promotion through TrialPay can be up-and-running in minutes.



TrialPay Sweetens the Deal



To help make this Valentine’s Day the best ever, TrialPay is sweetening the deal with a promotion of its own by offering new and existing partners a $250 Amazon.com gift card. To qualify, new partners must complete 30 transactions through TrialPay during the month of February; existing partners must launch a new Valentine’s Day campaign and complete at least 50 transactions during the month. For more information, visit: http://www.trialpay.com/go/valentines.



“Valentine’s Day isn’t a bad holiday for everyone, but if your memories aren’t as fond as you’d like, let TrialPay change that,” said TrialPay CEO, Alex Rampell. “Unlike the cologne or perfume that you once thought would seal the deal, we can make you… OK, we can make your products, irresistible.”



About TrialPay



TrialPay introduces e-commerce solutions that increase conversion rates and boost order values for any online seller. TrialPay’s payment and promotions platform uses the efficiencies of the Web to pair online shoppers with ideal offers at every stage of the purchase process. With TrialPay, everyone wins: online stores make more sales from their current traffic, advertisers acquire new customers on a pay-for-performance basis and shoppers get a free product with every purchase.



TrialPay works with name-brand companies across many verticals, including: The Wall Street Journal, Gap, McAfee, Netflix and thousands of others. In just three years, TrialPay has provided 50 million registered users with compelling payment options at more than 7,500 online stores. For more information, visit http://www.trialpay.com.



B2C Online Shopping Mall to Target China

Japanese ecommerce operator Rakuten and Chinese search engine Baidu.com have announced a joint venture to establish an integrated B2C online shopping mall, according to Chinese news website People's Daily Online. This investment will total approximately 4.3 billion yen over the next three years.



The site will officially launch near the end of 2010, and will be the largest online mall in China.



The mall's contents will include both domestic and foreign brands. The mall's largest competitor is the Alibaba Group's Taobao.com, which totaled 180 million registered users last year, said People's Daily.



Rakuten has been a developer of B2C platforms since 1997, and operates Japan's largest online shopping website. More than 30,000 brands and distributers engage in transactions on Rakuten's ecommerce platform.



Japan-based Rakuten was founded in 1997 and is a pioneer and leader of the global B2C "platform mode." It is also the operator of Japan's largest online shopping website. To date, more than 30,000 brand operators and distributors in Japan are engaging in B2C transactions on Rakuten's ecommerce platform.



Rakuten also holds ownership of American online marketing company LinkShare.



Business Week reports that comScore measures online retail shopping as having grown by an average annual rate of 21 percent since 2000.ADNFCR-2178-ID-19588480-ADNFCR




Visa Uses 3D Video to Bring Go World Ad Campaign to Life in Grand Central Terminal

http://www.visa.com/goworld

One thing for sure... 3D-Video more secure than 3D-Secure.  (See:Verified by Visa: "Textbook Example of How NOT to Design an Authentication Protocol")



Grand Central Terminal, YouTube and Facebook Extensions Promote ‘Trip for Life’ Sweepstakes and Bring Viewers Closer to the Olympic Games


SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), a Worldwide Olympic Games Sponsor for more than two decades, launched a month long initiative within New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, covering the subway corridor with 3D video and static images from the company’s global Olympic-themed advertising campaign – Go World, which celebrates athletic achievement and poignant historical Olympic triumphs. Also beginning today, Visa will utilize popular social media channels - YouTube and Facebook - to help bring more fans closer to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Team Visa Vancouver athletes.



In Grand Central Terminal, the advertising extension includes more than 100 media elements, the most notable being a 3D video projection screen with audio that will broadcast two commercials from the Go World campaign - “Anthem” and “Trip for Life.” At YouTube, Visa will introduce a complete redesign and content refresh of the Go World channel (www.youtube.com/goworld), debuting six new commercials featuring Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends prior to their airing on network television. On Feb. 2, Visa’s first Go World Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/visagoworld) will offer Olympic fans regular updates and unique glimpses into the lives of Team Visa Vancouver athletes leading up to and during the Olympic Winter Games. Elements include behind-the-scenes training videos, athlete-captured footage, and photos of the athletes in action.



Extensions of the Go World campaign enable Visa to generate awareness of its longstanding Olympic Games sponsorship, further support members of Team Visa Vancouver through marketing visibility efforts and educate cardholders about ways to win a trip to the Olympic Winter Games for the rest of their lives through the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes.



"Bringing our Go World campaign to life in Grand Central Terminal and through social media channels are important extensions and enhancements to our overall Olympic Games marketing campaign, at a time when interest for the Games is at its highest," said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa. "With the help of innovative 3D technology and popular social media sites, we're able to strengthen our connection to the Olympic Games and drive transactions during the Games with a breakthrough promotional offer – a trip to the Olympic Winter Games for life.”



Visa’s Olympic-themed presence within Grand Central Terminal includes an 8-by-14 foot projection screen that will display the two Go World television commercials, immersing commuters in a 60 second 3D experience. In addition, commuters will see 16 3D static screens (lenticular dioramas), as well as column wraps, posters, wallscapes, beam panels, soffits and stair risers – all encapsulating Go World creative while continuing to promote the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes. Advertisements also feature 18 Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends including Lindsey Jacobellis, Seth Wescott, Johnny Spillane and Dan Jansen. A full list of all Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends featured in Grand Central Terminal can be found below.



In addition to the 3D video projections, 2D video of other Go World Olympic commercials will run in Grand Central Terminal including “Dan Jansen,” “Team Visa,” “Julia Mancuso,” and “Zhangs.” These spots highlight legendary Olympic Winter Games moments and celebrate Team Visa Vancouver hopefuls from the United States to help create anticipation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 2D spots will run at all times when 3D content is not airing.



An estimated 3 million consumers will pass through Grand Central Terminal’s subway corridor during the 28-day campaign period. Beginning Feb. 1, street teams will hand out 3D glasses that will allow commuters to view the 3D commercials during the following times: Feb. 1 - 2, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Feb. 3 - 28, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. With 44 platforms and 67 working railway lines, Grand Central Terminal is the world’s largest train station.



“The combination of Visa’s Go World 3D content and its placement in the highly trafficked Grand Central Terminal subway corridor is a perfect storm for creating a one-of-a-kind brand experience,” said David Lane, Vice President Digital Media CBS Outdoor. “3D is gaining momentum in the advertising and marketing space, and we are thrilled to bring this out-of-home media application from Visa to New York City commuters.”



Visa is also featuring Go World creative in out-of-home environments in Vancouver, B.C. and San Francisco. While these extensions will not feature 3D elements, consumers will experience an immersive Go World environment through eye-catching static integrations. In Vancouver, consumers started seeing the Go World campaign come to life on Jan. 12 on 35 buses, five Sky Trains and various Sky Train platforms as well as 80 transit shelters, two airport spectaculars and one horizontal diorama in the airport.



In San Francisco, the out-of-home campaign also launched today with elements to appear on 125 transit shelters and 25 newsstands across the city. A full list of all Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends featured in Vancouver and San Francisco can be found below.



Launched in November 2009, the global Go World Olympic-themed marketing campaign encompasses the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and features television, digital and out-of-home advertising, host market merchant activation programs and usage promotions. Each element enables Visa to connect with cardholders and Olympic and Paralympic Games fans to drive preference for and usage of Visa products worldwide.



Visa remains the only card accepted at 2010 Winter Games venues in Vancouver and Whistler and at select U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the United States. This extends to the purchase of Visa Olympic Winter Games merchandise online, in Olympic Games retail stores and by catalog. At the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Visa installs a special Games ATM network and hundreds of point-of-sale acceptance devices at competition and non-competition venues. Onsite at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Visa personnel will also provide a variety of card payment related services to cardholders.



Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in Grand Central Terminal

  • Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)

  • Lindsey Jacobellis - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)

  • Steven Nyman - Alpine skiing (US)

  • Casey Puckett - Freestyle, ski cross (US)

  • Johnny Spillane - Nordic combined (US)

  • Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)

  • Jeff Christie – Luge (Canada)

  • Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)

  • Alexa Loo – Snowboard (Canada)

  • Canadian Bobsleigh – National Team (Canada)

  • Zhang Dan - Pair figure skating (China)

  • Zhang Hao - Pair figure skating (China)

  • Zhao Hongbo - Pair figure skating (China)

  • Tong Jian – Pair figure skating (China)

  • Pang Qing – Pair figure skating (China)

  • Shen Xue - Pair figure skating (China)

  • 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team – Olympic legends

  • Dan Jansen – Speed skating Olympic legend

Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in Vancouver

  • Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)

  • Alexi Salamone - Paralympic ice sled hockey (US)

  • Jeff Christie – Luge (Canada)

  • Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)

  • Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)

  • Zhang Dan – Pair figure skating (China)

  • Zhang Hao – Pair figure skating (China)

Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in San Francisco

  • Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)

  • Lindsey Jacobellis - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)

  • Steven Nyman - Alpine skiing (US)

  • Casey Puckett - Freestyle, ski cross (US)

  • Alexi Salamone - Paralympic ice sled hockey (US)

  • Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)

  • Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)

  • Alexa Loo – Snowboard (Canada)

  • Zhao Hongbo - Pair figure skating (China)

  • Shen Xue - Pair figure skating (China)

  • 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team – Olympic legends

  • Dan Jansen – Speed skating Olympic legend

Go World Commercials Breaking on YouTube

  • “Team Visa” – Featuring Team Visa Vancouver (US) athletes

  • “Lindsey Jacobellis”

  • “Julia Mancuso”

  • “Alexi Salamone”

  • “Bobsled” – Featuring the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team

  • “Zhangs” – Featuring Chinese figure skating pair Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao



Editors Note



To learn more about Visa’s Go World campaign, the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes, or Team Visa – Vancouver athletes, visit www.visa.com/goworld, www.youtube.com/goworld, or www.facebook.com/visagoworld. To view and download the latest Visa Go World commercials, Visa Olympic images, videos and assets, visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visa or www.visa.com/olympics.



About Visa



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.







Cloud Computing Not as Safe as They Want You to Think

Help Net Security reports that the recent Google attack showed us "that the cloud is still uncharted territory, with enemies behind every rock. Until we know exactly what to expect, we should refrain from going forth."
Cloud computing has been touted as the perfect solution for our increasingly mobile life-style - everything we need is always online and always accessible.



The occasional warnings from security professionals about the need to ascertain the safety of the information in the cloud were taken in stride and responded with a too easily given avowal: "Trust us. It's safe. We have experts that will resolve any problem."









The latest attack on Google proves that no matter how many times one repeats the "It's safe" mantra, it won't make it so. Mike Elgan thinks that it's time to stop and reevaluate this "headlong rush into the cloud".



The Google incident showed us that the cloud is still uncharted territory, with enemies behind every rock. Until we know exactly what to expect, we should refrain from going forth.



Continue Reading at HNS






ProPay Benefits from New eBay Buyer Protection Policy





http://www.propay.com

Both eBay Buyers and Sellers Utilizing ProPay Benefit from New Buyer Protection Policy


LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ProPay (www.propay.com), an industry leader in end-to-end data security encryption, credit card processing, and electronic payment services, announced its support of the expansion of eBay Buyer Protection to all approved electronic safe payment methods. ProPay applauds eBay’s extension of its Buyer Protection program. eBay Buyer Protection adds an unprecedented level of customer support and trust to the world’s largest online marketplace.



Under the new policy, ProPay buyers and sellers particularly benefit from the extension of eBay’s Buyer Protection to all approved safe electronic payment methods. ProPay has been an attractive option because buyers simply pay with their credit card at checkout without having to open up an account and/or ensure they have enough funds in an account for a purchase. Buyers enjoy the convenience and rewards of paying with their credit card and now can enjoy eBay’s Buyer Protection.



“As eBay’s first electronic payment method added in addition to PayPal and credit cards, we’re extremely pleased to be part of eBay’s New Buyer Protection program,” said Gary Goodrich, CEO of ProPay. “This new program adds another layer to the protection already offered by the individual card brands and signifies both companies’ commitment to simple, safe and secure payment transactions for eBay buyers and sellers.”



About ProPay



Since 1997, ProPay has led the market in providing simple, safe and affordable credit card processing and electronic payment services for businesses ranging from the small, home-based entrepreneur to multi-billion-dollar enterprises. ProPay is leading the industry as a provider of complete end-to-end payment security and encryption solutions for organizations. ProPay’s solutions reduce a merchant’s risk of breaches and PCI scope by removing the data. ProPay is a privately held company, headquartered in Lehi, Utah. For information, visit www.propay.com/pressroom.

VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile Credit Card Encryption Sleeve Begins Shipping

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PAY) today announced it is shipping its PAYware Mobile secure credit card encryption sleeve for iPhone and that the complementary PAYware Mobile App is now available on the App Store.


PAYware Mobile provides small businesses with simple and secure card processing capabilities using the revolutionary iPhone. The app and patent-pending card encryption technology are provided free in conjunction with a low cost PAYware gateway services agreement.



VeriFone also announced it is initiating a major online advertising campaign to introduce small businesses to the benefits of offering secure card acceptance using iPhone.



“Pre-order response to PAYware Mobile for iPhone has been phenomenal,” said VeriFone CEO Douglas G. Bergeron. “Clearly, we have tapped into the vast wellspring of small business owners who want the benefits of secure card acceptance but have been deterred by the cost of entry in the past.”


VeriFone’s sleek and durable card encryption sleeve slips over iPhone to accommodate card swipes and allow merchants to avoid high-cost “card-not-present” fees. It incorporates a stylus for signature capture and a mini-USB port for charging iPhone while the ergonomic encryption sleeve is attached.



VeriFone’s card acceptance solution for iPhone is based on years of expertise in payment security and provides patent-pending end-to-end card data encryption from the moment the card is swiped, so unprotected data never transits or is stored on iPhone itself. Using the card encryption sleeve with VeriFone’s app qualifies merchants for lower-cost “card present” interchange fees, which typically results in a 30 percent savings over manually entering card numbers.



The PAYware Mobile App is available free for iPhone on the App Store or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. The card encryption sleeve peripheral for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is available through authorized VeriFone distributors.



VeriFone's gateway processing solution, PAYware Connect, is widely certified by U.S. card processors. Users with existing merchant accounts will be able to set up PAYware Mobile with their current processor; those without existing processing relationships will be able to select from a variety of options.



Additional Resources:  www.paywaremobile.com





About VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (www.verifone.com)



VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (“VeriFone”) (NYSE: PAY) is the global leader in secure electronic payment solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical markets. VeriFone solutions are designed to meet the needs of merchants, processors and acquirers in developed and emerging economies worldwide.







Thales’s payShield Cardholder Authentication Safeguards Card Iinformation for Payment Processors

http://www.thalesgroup.com/issNow available for nShield the newest generation of Thales Hardware Security Modules designed for enhanced performance




WESTON, FL & CAMBRIDGE, UK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thales, leader in information systems and communications security, announces that Thales’s payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield is now available for its nShield Connect and nShield PCI Express hardware security modules (HSMs).



Thales’s payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield authenticates credit card users and protects encryption key transfers, safeguarding credit card information and assisting with regulatory compliance such as PCI. payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield is already widely deployed in web-based applications for MasterCard’s Chip Authentication Program (CAP) and Visa’s Dynamic Passcode Authentication (DPA) for online banking and 3D-Secure applications such as Verified by Visa* and MasterCard SecureCode* for online payments.



*Editor's Note:  Both of which (Verified by Visa and SecureCode) were recently exposed by Cambridge researchers as no only being insecure, but described as a "textbook example" of what NOT to do when it comes to authenticating the online user.  See:  Verified by Visa: "Textbook Example of How NOT to Design an Authentication Protocol




Expanding the supported platforms for Thales’s payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield supports customers that are upgrading their mission-critical environments using Thales nShield Connect, the industry’s only HSM with dual, hot-swappable power supplies for enhanced business continuity. This ensures that card authentication systems have maximum uptime, ensuring customer satisfaction and avoiding failed financial transactions.



Thales’s payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield is easy to integrate with web service technologies such as Java and features a C library for integration with third party products. The solution is often deployed with off-the-shelf cardholder authentication solutions from ActivIdentity, Arcot, Gemalto, and RSA.



“Thales is a global leader in payments security with more than 70 percent of global payment card transactions protected by Thales security solutions,” says Franck Greverie, Vice President, Managing Director for the information systems security activities of Thales. “payShield Cardholder Authentication already plays a critical part in many of the worlds Card Associations to provide the most advanced credit card authentication systems. This product update demonstrates our continued dedication to the payments industry and our commitment to developing the nCipher product line. payShield Cardholder Authentication for nShield effectively enables our customers to protect against fraud in online banking and card-not-present (CNP) transactions.”



For additional commentary on trends in payment security, please visit www.PaymentsSecurity.com.



Notes to editor



Thales is one of the world leaders in the provision of Information and Communication Systems Security solutions for government, defence, critical infrastructure operators, enterprises and the finance industry. Thales’s unique position in the market is due to its end-to-end security offering spanning the entire value chain in the security domain. The comprehensive offering includes architecture design, security and encryption product development, evaluation and certification preparation and through-life management services.



Thales has forty years of unrivalled track record in protecting information from Sensitive But Unclassified up to Top Secret and a comprehensive portfolio of security products and services, which includes network security products, application security products and secured telephony products.



About Thales



Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008, the company generated revenues of 12.7 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com






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