E-Commerce News: Encryption

Encryption: Why Stop With Laptops?
March 16, 2010

Over the past few years, it seems like there's one technology that almost everyone is deploying: laptop encryption. All over the industry, in nearly every vertical, it seems like everybody has either just deployed, is deploying, or is about to deploy some type of encryption technology to protect laptop data. When you think about it, it really isn't all that much of a surprise.

Does VPN Make Sense for a Small Biz?
February 23, 2010

Virtual private networks, or VPNs, have been around for about a decade. They provide a secure data exchange between two locations using an encrypted connection. VPN technology has changed little over the years. A newer version of VPN software, known as SSL-VPN, taps into the common IP circuitry of Web browsers to make secure connections with less reliance on third-party software.

Laptop Encryption Chips: Dissolved, Needled, Prodded and Hacked
February 13, 2010

Deep inside millions of computers is a digital Fort Knox, a special chip with the locks to highly guarded secrets, including classified government reports and confidential business plans. Now a former U.S. Army computer security specialist has devised a way to break those locks. The attack can force heavily secured computers to spill documents that likely were presumed to be safe.

Rethinking the Fortifications: Q&A With Heartland CIO Steven Elefant
February 01, 2010

Following a breach of its computer systems a year ago, Heartland Payment System, one of the five largest payment card processors in the United States, came under considerable pressure to strengthen its IT security, and it's been embroiled in several lawsuits because of the breach.

End-to-End Encryption: Beyond PCI Compliance
January 22, 2010

PCI DSS has undoubtedly made a significant improvement to the security of cardholder account numbers and other sensitive information within the payment card infrastructure. The standard lays out a strong set of requirements that merchants, acquirers and processors must follow. However, complying with PCI DSS should not be considered a silver bullet.

Are We Risking Our Digital Lives?
January 20, 2010

Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable storing sensitive information on their computers, USB flash drives, and external hard drives, as well as using Web-based solutions to automate regular tasks such as shopping for holiday gifts, paying bills and tracking financial portfolios. At the same time, cybercriminals are developing increasingly savvy techniques.

Sidestepping Swindlers in the New M-Commerce Frontier
January 13, 2010

As the number, power and flexibility of mobile devices has increased, so has their use for shopping. In 2008, a Nielsen survey found that 9 million people in the United States "have used their mobile phone to pay for goods or services," and many more expect to do so soon.

Hackers Jimmy GSM Cellphone Encryption
December 29, 2009

Hackers have once again demonstrated that the GSM standard, the most widely used mobile phone standard in the world, can be hacked. The GSM Association has acknowledged the technology's flaw, but it said the weakness is not a serious threat and that hackers have not been able to create a practical attack capability that can be used on live, commercial GSM networks.

Cloud Security's Silver Lining: Q&A With ISF President Howard Schmidt
November 18, 2009

The Information Security Forum may bill itself as the world's leading independent authority on IT security, but the companies and agencies that its members work for are finding themselves more dependent than ever on its computer security expertise. Current trends that are expanding access to networks for companies and consumers are also providing more potential opportunities for IT's "bad guys."

Mobile CRM User, Know Thyself
November 10, 2009

With the proliferation of smartphones and similar handheld devices, it only makes sense that data -- especially customer data -- is following these devices into the field. The scenarios in which sales and field service people can use the data collected by CRM are many and, in a lot of cases, obvious. However, there are also many ways for CRM to go into the field.

Secure, Real-Time UC: Safe Connections While on the Move
November 05, 2009

Unified Communications holds enormous promise as a coherent, integrated approach to incorporating the full spectrum of business communications modalities, and as direct path to cut through "communications clutter" resulting in accelerated time-to-action. It also offers a cost-effective way to more directly connect the company to its customers.

Is AES Encryption Crackable?
November 03, 2009

In the field of computer technology, some topics are so frequently and fiercely disputed that they almost resemble religious feuds -- Mac vs. PC, for instance, or open source vs. proprietary software. Other topics, though, don't see nearly the same level of high-profile debate. Take the invulnerability of AES encryption, for example.

Rights Groups Demand More Info on Arbitrary DHS Laptop Searches
August 28, 2009

The idea was to provide some clarity on the issue of searches of computers and other digital devices when travelers enter the U.S. However, while Thursday's announcement of new Department of Homeland Security policies for border inspections was greeted as a good first step by some, they didn't completely quiet privacy rights groups.

3 Tips for Brushing Up B2B Security
July 02, 2009

Companies are seeking to establish electronic relationships with as many business partners as possible to enhance competitiveness, make it easier for important third parties to engage with them, cut time and space out of transaction cycle times and drive down the cost of doing business.

Top Cybersecurity Official Spurs White House to Take Lead
April 23, 2009

The woman who conducted a 60-day, top-to-bottom review of U.S. cybersecurity policy has said there needs to be more leadership on the issue from the very top -- the Obama White House. Melissa Hathaway, acting senior director for cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security councils, provided plenty of discussion material Wednesday for those attending the 2009 RSA Conference in San Francisco.

Eliminating the Mobile Security Blind Spot
March 24, 2009

Office-bound workers at most companies today have a significant amount of IT security available to them when best practices are followed. Their computers are physically secure; their hard drives are hopefully encrypted; secure Web gateways, intrusion prevention systems and firewalls block dangers from the Internet. Audit trails are in place. Passwords and policies are enforced. Data protection is comprehensive.