BankInfoSecurity.com "Secure Marketspace" Blog RSS Syndication

A World Without Payment Cards (and PCI Compliance)

Credit and debit cards are everywhere. I use mine daily, and I suspect many functioning adults in the U.S. and beyond do as well. For me, convenience is a major factor in their use - instead of carrying around wads of cash, I can carry a single piece of plastic and use it to accomplish the same goal -- buy things. If I lose my wallet or worse, get robbed, I'm out a small piece of plastic instead of actual cash.

Multi-Factor Authentication ... or be Sued?

The news story going around about the couple that was granted permission to sue their bank because of lackluster security measures interests me in a few different ways.

Obama's "Big Brother" Vision of IAM

So, did anyone read about the President's Cybersecurity Action Plan? I'm assuming you've read through all 10 points. You didn't stop to ponder after the first few did you? I mean, you didn't happen to stop after number 8? The one about the incident response plan?

60 Technology & Security Vendor Interviews in 400 Minutes

That's roughly 6-7 minutes per interview. Add in 3-4 minutes for introductions, a 10-minute pre-interview, and 5 minutes to get to the next interview (who's counting?) - and you've got one busy week!

And so it was at the RSA Conference 2009 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, an interview with a different security vendor every half-hour, on the half-hour, for 3-and-a-half days.

It's Not a Matter of Trust, It's a Matter of Honesty

I'll admit that even though we're in the "age of digital," IPODS, Flip cams, and satellite radio, I still find some comfort in good ol' radio. I'm somewhat of a news junkie, and so naturally AM is my choice. Sure, I'll turn on the conservative guys for a few laughs every now and then, but most often I have the dial turned to Bloomberg. Because I listen on the way into work, and the way home, Tom Keene seemingly has a 24-hour presence. And I have no problems admitting I'm a big fan.

Electronic Voting: The Ultimate Online Banking Application

Every day I'm driving to or from work -- or even on the weekends - it seems like I hear about some new urgent priority that I must be aware of, whether it be the flailing economy, President Obama's directives, data breaches, or any number of other news-worthy items. But I love the news - so I don't mind!

FinancialStability.gov - From Translucent to Transparent

I remember when I was a child and my parents had a stand-alone shower stall. The walls and door were made of glass with a wavy contour, and they were frosted. Which means instead of being clear like a window, they added a pasty kind of blur to anything on the other side. Everyone has seen this before - you may have a shower like this; it does add a bit of privacy. From the on-looker, you can just about make out shapes and perhaps lighter and darker areas, however you never quite know what exactly is going on.

Predicting the Next Regulatory Challenge for Financial Institutions

Wow - we've been part of quite a bit of quick decision-making recently. Financial institutions going out of business almost overnight, trillions of dollars being offered from the U.S. government in the blink of an eye, and the largest in the industry merging with and/or acquiring peer institutions within weeks.

How Google Will Save the Banking Industry (and the U.S. Economy)

Yes, yes, we all know the economy is hanging by threads right now. Banks that have been around forever are closing around us, the largest financial institutions are faltering, the stock market is down and up and down and up again, the Treasury is pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy, and we are all hanging on edge waiting for the next big news.

Credit Crisis as a Segue to a New Financial Model

I've heard many, many comments, analyses, opinions and otherwise regarding the current economic condition of the United States. I've heard that we should blame sub-prime mortgages. I've heard greedy CEOs are to blame. I've even heard that if we (the United States) had universal healthcare, we wouldn't be in this situation. Or that Harvard graduates are ultimately to blame. I, however, have been focusing on what "credit" means, and what its effects are on the economy.

When I applied for a mortgage a few years ago, I was offered something outrageous. I've always worked, and I think financially I am a stand-up citizen. However, if I were to use the full extent of the mortgage I was offered, I don't think I would have been able to pay it off under normal, reasonable terms. Even with the stronger market at the time.