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Data Security Is Retailers' Job, Too |
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Source: Information Week - Posted by Pax Dickinson
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Consumers aren't the only ones who pay when hackers steal credit-card numbers and other customer data. Retailers, which often hold customer information in their IT systems, can be liable for security breaches.
BJ's Wholesale Club is a case in point. Last month, the retailer settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission by agreeing to submit to outside security audits for 20 years and to tighten protection of customer information, after hackers last year broke into BJ's systems and stole thousands of credit- and debit-card numbers that were later used to make purchases. BJ's has said it faces about $13 million in private claims from the theft.
Recent data breaches have prompted some retailers to develop closer working relationships between their loss-prevention and IT divisions. "There are a number of retailers increasing their use of technology to protect customer data and privacy," says Richard Varn, technology policy adviser at the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group, and interim CIO for the city of San Antonio, Texas. "It's also about people, policies, and processes," he says. For example, more retailers want to hire college graduates with information-assurance degrees.
Read this full article at Information Week
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