Technology may be a solution to domestic payment card fraud

by Andy Williams, Associate Editor, Avisian Publications

Like a massive tidal wave, EMV continues to roll across the world, changing the global payments landscape. Since UK banks first committed to EMV five-years ago, more than 100 countries have taken the plunge in efforts to stem credit card fraud.

But the U.S. has always remained outside the EMV plan. This, however, may be changing as fraud, technology and business is changing the payments landscape.

Brian Byrne, head of product technology for standards and specifications at Visa estimates there are some 730 million EMV cards and 10 million terminals in existence around the world. 

RSA announced a set of solutions to help organizations address the challenging aspects of complying with the U.S. Data Breach Notification Laws for protecting personally identifiable information and mitigating the risk of security breaches. Specifically, RSA is announcing three packages of information security products – including two-factor authentication, security information and event management (SIEM) and data loss prevention (DLP) – designed for mid-sized companies.

Organizations entrusted with personally identifiable information from customers and employees are required to take appropriate actions to secure and protect this information. In addition, laws across the United States levy varying penalties - including public notification requirements - for organizations suffering a compromise. 

SCM Microsystems Inc. announced that its eHeatlh500 mobile terminal has received the required certification for use with the new eHealth cards in stage two of the introduction of the electronic health cards in Germany.

The certification for SCM’s eHealth500 mobile reader comes from gematik, the German health care organization overseeing the implementation of the country’s eHealth program. SCM had previously received gematik certification for its eHealth200 BCS stationary terminals in September 2008. 

Gemalto and Open Communications Security S/A, a Brazilian company specialized in information security, have entered into a partnership to collaborate on sales, consulting, implementation and support of Gemalto´s Protiva authentication solutions in Brazil and other countries in the Mercosur, a regional trade orgainzation including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. 

CoreStreet announced that its CoreStreet PIVMAN Solution will be used during FEMA’s “Spring Ahead” demonstration, taking place the week of May 18. The purpose of the demonstration is to showcase FIPS 201 interoperability, with credentials issued from multiple jurisdictions utilizing the same technology as recommended in the draft National Incident Management System Credentialing Guideline.

Coordinated through FEMA, the “Spring Ahead” demonstration will involve federal, state, local and private sector National Response Framework, National Infrastructure Protection Plan and National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan stakeholders. “Spring Ahead” will include the electronic validation of federal agency-issued FIPS 201 compliant and state/local government issued FIPS 201 interoperable credentials for risk mitigation and human resource situational awareness across more than 30 organizations in 20 locations throughout the United States. 

by Salvatore D’Agostino, IDmachines

IDmachines has focused from day one on the opportunity created by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and the requirements in the access control market place that would emerge as a result of Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201). It hasn’t always been the most popular position, given the extent of legacy solutions, the rate of innovation in the physical access control marketplace, and the extent to which the United States Government could be the change agent for both the physical access control industry, to say nothing of the logical access and identity management industries.

Some of the contrary positions have always been surprising, particularly once it became clear that FIPS 201 was not a flash in the pan. At a minimum it represented 15 million government employees and contractors. OK, so it’s enough to interest IDmachines but for a physical access control industry where many of the installations were less than 20 doors the sea change for the most part continued to be ignored or addressed with the least possible effort or innovation on the part of the industry “leaders.” In fact many government installations have and will be addressed by small scale solutions. In my opinion this is a case of fool me twice. 

China’s Daily RFID has released a new low-cost plug-and-play contactless smart card reader designed for use in industrial and outdoor environments. The reader will hit the market this month at a planned $48 per unit.