Sobering Reminder for Retailers of Need for Compliance/Security Updates?

Posted by Lora Bentley Aug 18, 2009 3:45:40 PM
In the last couple of days, The New York Times, the Associated Press and almost every other media outlet has reported the arrest of a Miami man and two (as yet unnamed) Russian co-conspirators in connection with what is being called "the largest ID theft ring in history."

Albert Gonzalez and his cohorts are reported to have accessed information from more than 130 million payment cards from late 2006 until early last year, compromising such networks as Heartland Payment Systems and Hannaford Brothers. Gonzalez was also charged in connection with the TJX data breach. The former informant for the U.S. Secret Service faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the latest charges.

Hopefully, the small merchants I wrote about late last week -- the ones that don't think they'll be victimized by the likes of Gonzalez -- will take note as former prosecutor Scott Christie told the AP, "Cases like this do cause companies to sit up and take notice that this is a problem and more needs to be done."