In 2010, Massachusetts implemented a law that requires companies that handle the “personal information” of Massachusetts residents to implement a compliant information security program. Last month, they used that law to impose the first major fine on a restaurant chain that failed to protect their consumers’ information. The Massachusetts attorney general fined the chain $110,000 [...]
Posts Tagged ‘PCI’
Data Breach Fines – Denial is Not a Strategy
Monday, April 18th, 2011 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
E-mail Marketer, Epsilon, Breached: Will Spear Phishing Attacks Increase?
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 Ernie Floyd, Director - Data Security & Compliance
You may have heard of the massive breach at Epsilon, a company who does e-mail marketing for over 2,500 companies including Target, Best Buy, Kroger, Capital One and CitiGroup, where millions of e-mail addresses were stolen. There was no talk of credit cards, so why is Radiant bringing this up? True, this breach had nothing [...]
Don’t Give Criminals an Unintentional Gift This Holiday Season
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
It’s a well-known fact that the holiday season is the favorite time of year for criminals. Business owners and managers should make sure that they are staying alert and are encouraging their employees to protect their merchandise as well as protect their consumers’ credit card data. The following are a few simple measures that security [...]
Wireless Security…Jumbo Shrimp?
Thursday, November 11th, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
For many, wireless security may seem to be a contradiction in terms. Wireless networks have always been low hanging fruit for criminals to potentially access your business. However, many businesses get into the market of offering free Wi-Fi hotspots to their customers to stay competitive, promote business and encourage loyalty. Some businesses are also using [...]
Eat This, Secure That!
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 John Pearson, Director - Data Security & Compliance
If you have not read one of the “EAT THIS, NOT THAT!” books, then I encourage you to do so as they are a real eye-opener for those trying to eat healthy and watch their fat intake. In our fast-pace, dine out multiple times per week society, it is easy to become a victim of [...]
Guess What? Your Payment Application is Not the Only Thing Criminals Care About
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
Processing credit cards is vital to efficiently running your restaurant or retail business, and that includes doing everything possible to protect the data being transferred over the Internet. However, criminal attacks are getting more and more advanced and the likelihood that restaurants and other small business establishments will fall victim to cybercriminals is increasing. Large [...]
There are 200 Questions. Do You Have 200 Answers?
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
Completing the PCI DSS Self Assessment Questionnaire does not mean your site won’t be breached. Fact: As a small business that processes, transmits or stores credit card data, you are required to validate your compliance with the PCI-DSS. Fiction: Validating your compliance with the PCI-DSS means that your data is protected. Reality: Validating your compliance [...]
Know the Security Risks of USB Thumb Drives
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
In 2006, a security firm was hired to assess the security infrastructure of a credit union. They scattered 20 USB thumb drives in the parking lot of the bank for employees to find. When they plugged in the USB drive, malware was installed on the employees’ computers and the hacker was into the bank’s network! [...]
Protect Against, Identify & Resolve Weaknesses in Your Payment Card Environment
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 Dana Hawker, Senior Manager, Data Security and Compliance
Credit card information…it’s the hidden treasure that cyber criminals are constantly trying to steal from restaurant and retail operators that process, transmit or store this information for consumers. Ultimately, restaurant and retail operators are responsible for the protection of credit card information. As part of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, restaurant and retail [...]
The New Wave of Criminal Attacks
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 Jessica Lundberg, Senior Marketing Manager
Since the inception of the first data security standard, most of the focus has been placed on ensuring that a business’ POS software was validated against the latest payment application standard, which is now known as the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA DSS). Unfortunately, most retailers and restaurant operators believed and still falsely believe [...]
