Merchant Newsletter - May 13, 2006

Pocket Verifier on Windows Smartphone!

The Cingular 2125 is the first compatible Windows Smartphone!


This week's article is on what you need to do to prevent being the SOURCE of a fraud event!  Companies that manage credit card information need to comply with new data-protection requirements being pushed by MasterCard International Inc. and Visa U.S.A. Inc. amid growing concerns about identity theft and fraud.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI, lists 12 items that retailers, online merchants, data processors and other businesses that handle credit card data will have to start meeting by June 1. The standard sets technology requirements such as the use of data encryption, end-user access control, and activity monitoring and logging. It also includes procedural mandates such as the need to implement formal security policies and vulnerability management programs.

The Digital Dozen
VISA AND MASTERCARD'S NEW DATA-PROTECTION RULES

BUILD AND MAINTAIN A SECURE NETWORK
Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect data.
Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.

PROTECT CARDHOLDER DATA
Safeguard stored data.
Encrypt transmission of cardholder data and sensitive information across public networks.

MAINTAIN A VULNERABILITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Use and regularly update antivirus software.
Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.

IMPLEMENT STRONG ACCESS-CONTROL MEASURES
Restrict access to data by business need to know.
Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
Restrict physical access to data about cardholders.

REGULARLY MONITOR AND TEST NETWORK SECURITY
Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
Regularly test security systems and processes.

INFORM EMPLOYEES ABOUT SECURITY POLICIES
Maintain a policy that addresses information security.

If all your credit card information is in Transaction Central, rest assured, you are compliant.  If you have an e-commerce store, make sure you have it set to NOT store credit card numbers!  Our recommendation for best way to be immune to these regulations is to NEVER store credit card numbers on your computer systems!  



Windows Mobile Smartphone has had a rocky beginning. Early units were plagued with incompatibilities, late product arrivals, and carrier imposed restrictions. The Motorola MPX 200 and MPX 220 are perfect examples, after months and months of delays, when they were finally released, the Bluetooth capabilities were crippled by the carrier to prevent users from using them with PC's.

With the introduction of the Cingular 2125, Windows Smartphone has arrived. Windows Smartphone works just like Pocket PC, except there is no touch - sensitive screen.  The units are smaller (sometimes much smaller), and the high resolution screen look absolutely gorgeous.  The screen resolution can approach print quality on these units.

Pocket Verifier Professional for Windows Mobile Smartphone was built from the ground up in .NET in order to provide native-code functionality to these devices.  We took advantage of this new project to implement new features, like Automatically printing the receipt on approval, built in cash receipts, modifiable receipts, refund receipts, and more!

Windows Mobile users can now have the smaller form factor phones that they have been asking for, and accept credit cards anywhere at the same time!  There are a lot of new REALLY cool Windows Smartphones coming out, we will test and certify them with Pocket Verifier Professional as soon as they are available.  Lets take a look in the next column:

The phone on the left, built by HTC and known as the "StarTrek" is going on sale in Asia.  Expect it here late in the year.  HTC builds all the Treo's, HP's and more.  Basically, if it is a rock solid PDA, chances are that HTC made it.

The one on the right is the long awaited Motorola 'Q' , known best as the RazrBerry.  Combining the best qualities of the Razr and the Blackberry, this unit has it all, without ripping off US Patents!  Made by a US corporation, we eagerly await this unit.  It does have a unique sized screen, so give us a little time to adapt Pocket Verifier to fit.

ORDER FREE MERCHANT MATERIALS HERE!!!

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