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The arrival of Windows 10 later this year will bring numerous hardware changes. Experts say that users can expect the smaller USB Type-C port to become mainstream in PCs around the time Windows 10 ships later this year. The multifaceted USB Type-C ports will recharge laptops and connect PCs to monitors, external storage drives, printers, cameras and other peripherals. Plus, the Type-C cable has an identical connector on both ends, and the users will enjoy faster data transfer rates with the USB 3.1 protocol, which can transfer data at 10Gbps (bits per second), double that of USB 3.0.
Demand for video conferencing systems continues to grow as hardware prices fall and advances in the technology make video much easier to use than it was in the past. For example, last month, Polycom announced a purpose-built voice and video collaboration solution designed by Microsoft and Polycom developers to be used with Skype for Business. Called the Polycom RoundTable 100, the device sells for under $1000 and targets small to midsized businesses teams who have a Skype for Business account.
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Hardware Section Sponsored by
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Software Updates
On July 14, Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2003 which means Microsoft will no longer issue security updates for any version of Windows Server 2003. Bit9 recently issued a report entitled "Windows Server 2003 (WS2K3) End-of-Life Survey" which found that nearly one in three enterprises (30%) plan to continue to run Server 2003 after the July 14 deadline, leaving an estimated 2.7 million servers unprotected. Bit9 claims that a migration would take at least 200 days, while other experts give more high-low room due to the variances in the apps, complexity, etc. They recommend an upgrade plan that includes network isolation, application whitelisting, and continuous server monitoring.
Syslog-ng Pro is an open source log consolidation engine which has a long and positive reputation in the Linux, AIX, and BSD communities. Syslog-ng Pro features heterogeneous support for varying operating systems. The developers differentiate the open source version from the Pro edition by including support, and Windows-specific hosting and client-side communications for log consolidation from Unix-based and Windows hosts alike.
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Software Section Sponsored by
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The ATM Industry Association has published new guidelines called “Best Practices for Preventing ATM Malware, Black Box and Cyber-Attacks”. This security manual explains how ATM malware works, from installation to execution, as well as how to detect it. The manual also looks into Black Box Attacks and the hijacking of ATM Control and Authorization Systems before outlining key mitigation best practices. The guidelines share links, background reading and relevant standards documentation.
VeeBees are virtual banker machines developed by Nautilis-Hyosung. They come with privacy screens so that if a customer does not look straight at it, they can't see the screen. Customers can research transactions, print statements, make loan payments, submit deposits and withdraw funds in any denomination they choose. They can also be setup to provide a quick account balance with having to insert a card.
Uber has met the ATM in Poland as Idea Bank has launched of a fleet of automobiles fitted with ATMs that can be summoned by smartphone. The bank has outfitted four electric BMW i3 automobiles with built-in cash depository ATMs that can be called upon by small businesses using the IdeaBank Money Collection app. Idea Bank's car service, which is available to order from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. with professional bodyguard drivers, is free for customers, though the bank is considering charging a fee for entrepreneurs who withdraw money from a card issued by another institution.
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ATMs/Kiosks Sponsored by
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According to a recent Timetric survey, the use of mobile payment devices and technologies is growing among business professionals, but true mainstream integration will take at least several years. North America's contactless payments and fraud prevention initiatives lag both Asia’s and Europe's, although "the U.S. is rapidly upgrading its payments infrastructure and is likely to become the most advanced mobile payments market within the next two years." The report predicts that large tech firms such as Apple and Google will dominate the global payments market.
A new study by Millward Brown Digital highlights the nuances of mobile device usage by generation and task. Millennials are certainly a mobile-centric generation, however when it comes to financial services, only 8% of Millennials prefer a smartphone for submitting a checking or savings application vs. 46% whose preferred device for this task is a laptop. Similarly, 17% of Millennials prefer a smartphone for submitting a credit card application vs. 57% who prefer a laptop. Across all generations, 81% of consumers prefer a smartphone for tasks under 5 minutes and only 43% prefer a smartphones for activities lasting 10-20 minutes. The firm notes that researching financial products, obtaining an insurance quote, and opening new checking or credit card accounts all take longer than 5 minutes – at that point, device preference for smartphones declines dramatically. Finally, they say that tablet usage is highest among GenXers (34% use tablets regularly), but even among this group almost all prefer either a smartphone or a laptop/PC for financial tasks - their research shows that consumers continue to reach for their laptop for productivity driven financial tasks over tablets.
Vera is a startup that aims to lock down documents transferred over email or other file-sharing services such as Box or Dropbox. With a right click on a file, a set of policies can be attached to an important file. The file is encrypted, with the decryption key passed only to the authorized recipient, who doesn’t have to install Vera’s software. The document won’t open if it is forwarded to someone else, and it can be set to lock after a certain amount of time.
Benjamin Dean, Fellow for Internet Governance and Cyber-security, School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, has an interesting theory on breaches: data breaches may cost less than the security to prevent them. He invokes the concept of moral hazard which occurs when one person takes more risks because someone else bears the burden of those risks. In the real world this means that companies can invest less in information security because in the event of a breach other parties such as card issuers, insurance companies and consumers bear the lion's share of the costs of the incident. Dean concludes that it does not make economic sense for companies like Target, Home Depot, and Sony to invest heavily in information security, especially when insurance payments and tax deductions cut the financial outlay to where it is less than what it would cost to improve information security.
Security:
Meeting the Challenges of Attacks, Breaches & Compliance
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CatchFire Creative - http://catchfirecreative.com
Read Drew Schulthess' comments: https://www.banktt.com/CatchFire.pdf |
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Easy Solutions - http://www.easysol.net
Read Daniel Ingevaldson's comments: https://www.banktt.com/EasySolutions.pdf |
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eScope Solutions - http://www.escope.net
Read Dean Marshall's comments: https://www.banktt.com/eScope.pdf |
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Horsetail Technologies - http://www.horsetailtech.com
Read Mark Berman's comments: https://www.banktt.com/Horsetail.pdf |
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HyTrust - http://www.hytrust.com
Read Hemma Prafullchandra's comments: https://www.banktt.com/HyTrust.pdf |
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Info@Risk - http://www.infoatrisk.com
Read David Trepp's comments: //www.banktt.com/images/LR/Info@risk_sec15.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">https://www.banktt.com/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Ingalls Information Security - http://www.iinfosec.com
Read Russell “Rusty” Wilson's comments: https://www.banktt.com/Ingalls.pdf |
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Hyland Software - http://www.onbase.com
Read Steve Comer's comments: https://www.banktt.com/OnBase.pdf |
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PhishLabs - http://www.phishlabs.com
Read Stacy Shelley's comments: https://www.banktt.com/PhishLabs.pdf |
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SilverSky - http://www.silversky.com
Read Andrew Jaquith's comments: https://www.banktt.com/SilverSky.pdf |
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MasterCard has introduced the "in reach" benefits platform for issuers looking to engage Millennials. By some accounts, by 2017 millennials’ spending power is expected to surpass that of baby boomers. Issuers can incorporate the in reach platform onto any credit, debit or prepaid MasterCard, and cardholders with have access to career and financial related resources, tools and benefits in one central location. MasterCard has partnered with LinkedIn and The Wall Street Journal to build the engagement hub.
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Because Bitcoin uses a "permissionless ledger" that relies on anonymous participants to validate transactions, it has limited appeal to financial institutions - there is no one to hold accountable in legal disputes over the ownership of assets. Bitcoin's primary purpose is facilitate online transactions, not those involving homes, cars, and other real-world assets. Many experts contend that distributed but "permissioned" ledgers from companies such as Ripple Labs, Eris Industries, Hyperledger and Clearmatics that use legal entities to validate transactions make more sense for FIs. Distributed but permissioned ledgers use legal entities to validate transactions, providing FIs with official records of asset ownership and legally accountable participants.
Gemalto announced that Coop Bank Denmark is the first FI to deploy biosourced contactless EMV cards. The new cards — from Gemalto's Optelio range — are manufactured from a corn-based material that is 100 percent biodegradable and are able to accept high quality artwork. The firm states that their cards are made from poly lactic acid, a plastic substitute, and the cards are compostable and nontoxic if incinerated.
Celent has released a new report titled “Top Trends in Retail Banking 2015: Digital Reigns, Complexity Intensifies.” The report identifies the following ten key trends affecting banks over the course of 2015:
1. Meeting Mobile Demand
2. Operationalizing Omnichannel
3. Engaging New Entrants - Fintech and Otherwise
4. Coming to Terms with Cloud
5. Increasing Innovation Investment
6. Embracing Emotions
7. Ceding Ecosystem Centrality
8. Securing Systems
9. Responding to Regulations
10. Changing the Core Perspective
Cisco is rolling out new models of its Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) with FirePOWER Services, which they claim is the first threat-focused next-generation firewall. Aimed toward mid-size companies or branch offices, Cisco is promising the same kind of malware protection and detection enjoyed by enterprise organizations. Pricing starts at $995 per model.
Soha Systems has launched a cloud service called Soha Cloud that they say reduces the burden of setting up customer-owned security platforms and eliminates the need to make network configuration changes to accommodate that security. The platform provides security functions when users initially try to access cloud-based applications. Once they are cleared for access, the service bridges a link to the app they requested as if the request is originating from within the network, making network changes unnecessary. It provides authentication, authorization, application firewalling, WAN optimization and server load balancing among multiple application instances for both public and private clouds. Customers can get free access to the service supporting one application for five users indefinitely in order to test it.
Everyone knows that training is an important part of building a positive contact center culture. Toister Performance Solutions points out that employees learn workplace behaviors in three distinct ways:
- 70% comes from informal learning
- 20% comes from the direct supervisor
- 10% comes from formal training
The firm recommends asking agents to contribute their views on culture in team meetings and empowering employees to help with special projects like training new hires.
Info@Risk