Data Security

The point of the broad-based California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in June, is to protect consumer data. For retailers wondering if the CCPA will impact their business, time is limited to figure out if and how. If you're a retailer selling products online and already compliant with the General Data…

There are so many ways for the holidays to turn sour for an online retailer. Gift cards and loyalty points, not subject to the same type of verification as credit cards, are stolen from customer accounts and used for fraudulent purposes. Compromised corporate credit cards are used to make high-volume purchases in the thousands of…

There’s no understating the impact that small computer in your pocket has made on retail. But governmental bodies are starting to reckon with it. Starting January 2020, California will enact the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). CCPA follows in the footsteps of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and precedes the Brazilian Data…

With the rise in e-commerce sales, cybersecurity attacks are increasing. Last year, 70 percent of small business websites faced some type of cyberattack during the holiday season. This year, ransomware has already spiked 500 percent. These attacks can put stores offline for hours or days — and some out of business. Obviously merchants can’t afford any downtime — especially…

With the holiday season upon us, retail businesses are doing their best to prepare for the mad rush of online shoppers. A retailer’s holiday checklist may include hiring seasonal employees, establishing a holiday customer service plan, and ensuring the necessary inventory is stocked. But one thing small businesses may not consider is the threat of…

The biggest online shopping period of the year is fast approaching: Cyber Week. Think of it as the Super Bowl for online retailers. Beginning on Cyber Monday and ending the following Friday, this year’s Cyber Week is expected to generate a record $730 billion in revenue, according to the National Retail Federation. With the influx of…

Macy's has announced a data breach caused by Magecart card-skimming code being implanted in the retailer's online payment portal. In a letter issued to customers, Macy's says that it was alerted to the security incident on Oct. 15, and it quickly found that card-skimming script had been injected into two pages on its website. The code, believed to…

Cyber risk in retail isn't a new concept. Retail is one of the most targeted industries when it comes to cyber attacks. In fact, over 50 percent of global retailers were breached in the last year. Given the sensitive customer data these organizations often possess (e.g., credit card information and personally identifiable information), it’s not…

Cybercriminals go where the money is. During the busy holiday season, that means the retail sector. And as more retail sales occur online, that means e-commerce sites are in hackers’ crosshairs. I just returned from the annual Retail Cyber Intelligence Summit in Denver, where I got the chance to talk with security experts at some…

Put away your inflatable jack-o-lanterns and take out your Christmas lights, the holiday season is upon us! While the holidays bring heaps of joy and hot chocolate, security teams know they also bring fraud and abuse. Hot products in high demand bring scammers and scalpers. New users bring new payment data, making your checkouts a…