Our Thinking

As technology continues to advance, it's critical for the security community to respond to the evolving risk for consumer data.

On Tuesday, January 14, I had the opportunity to once again sit the PCI Dream Team’s eighth online session. During this session, we responded to questions from our participants which covered a broad range of concerns.

About ten years ago I was part of a team working on a product that was an early attempt to capture a 360-degree view of the customer. Back then, the concept of a “360-degree view”  of your customer was in its infancy – it was a new way of thinking. The industry understood that it was becoming more and more important to understand your customer’s journey. 

Is it this time of year already?! The time of year when the days literally fly off the calendar. When we sit back and consider all that transpired. The many projects, trends, buzzwords, predictions, challenges, and success stories that shaped our year.

It's also the time when we round up some of our favorite blogs that we published in 2019.  While it’s hard for us to pick our Top 10, we did our best. We hope you like the list our team put together.

A popular Chinese proverb states, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  For many companies today, one of the most pivotal steps they can take is to define a strategy for their organization. This step sets the direction, the goals and charts the course to get there.

We often gain a helpful perspective in life when we pause to look back, evaluate and learn before we move forward. We can gain valuable lessons by considering the past - what worked well, what could be done better or what should not be done, and adjusting our forward plans accordingly. This thoughtful reflection of the past is what is called:

By 2022, 70% of customer interactions will involve emerging technologies such as machine learning applications, chat bots, and mobile messaging. (Gartner research; subscription required.) 

70% is a staggering number isn't it? Why is this the case? 

You have to transform. Competition is fierce. Business is changing. Customers expectations are increasing. Technology is advancing and making things we only dreamed about 5 years ago a reality.

Can you truly embrace digital transformation while maintaining the security posture of your organization?  You can. 

But you have to start with the right ingredients.

The Online Team and I had a great time at the PCI Community meeting last week, set in the spectacular environs of Vancouver BC. We ate and drank, pontificated, watched ferries and seaplanes come into the harbor (my inner 8-year old self couldn’t resist and I booked a flight out on one), and had a generally spectacular time networking with old and new friends in the payment security space.  While there were far too many interesting presentations and conversations to put into one place, I had a few takeaways that I felt were worth sharing. In no particular order:

Companies across the world are embracing digital transformation with a “transform or die” mentality. Industry analysts and thought leaders are telling companies of all sizes that they must transform, or risk being left behind by those that do. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being devoted to this digital evolution.

Online is proud to feature a chapter from Tribe of Hackers, written by Marcus J. Carey and Jennifer Jin. Our very own security expert Jeff Man shared many insights and stories in chapter 25 of this highly acclaimed book.

Jeffrey Man is a respected information security expert, advisor, evangelist, and co-host of the security podcast Security Weekly. He has more than 35 years of experience in all aspects of computer, network, and information security. Jeffrey has held various information security roles within the DoD as well as private sector enterprises, is a former PCI QSA, and was part of the first penetration testing red team at the NSA.