2012 European Central Bank Report on Card Fraud August 6, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in News.Tags: Chip and Pin, debit, ECB, EMV, european central bank, fraud, maestro, mark consulting group, mastercard, PCI DSS, SEPA, visa
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In July 2012 the European Central Bank released a report on bank card (debit, credit, etc.) fraud in the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA). According to the report, the total fraud equaled €1.26 billion in 2010. For those in the payments industry, this report is an interesting look at the fraud patterns related to card usage. You can download the report here.
“I know it’s true because I got it from the Internet!” – Reuters Hacked by Pro-Assad Group to publich Propaganda August 6, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in competitive intelligence, cyberespionage, cybersecurity.Tags: assad, cybersecurity, data breach, data security, mark consulting group, propaganda, reuters, risk, Twitter
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Reuters acknowledged that on August 3rd, their blogging platform was hacked and a false, pro-Assad post was published. “Reuters.com was a target of a hack on Friday,” the company said in a statement. “Our blogging platform was compromised and fabricated blog posts were falsely attributed to several Reuters journalists.” Additionally, Reuters Twitter account was hacked and used to tweat several false, and pro-Assad messages. While this type of propaganda has been going on for as long as news has been published, the ease of which a person or group can publish on the Internet coupled with the speed at which it can spread creates new challenges for companies. Imagine a situation in which a company is hacked and fraudulent financial data is released before an IPO? As the US Presidential elections ramp up, we are seeing increasing numbers of stories and claims that can only be categorized as propaganda. In fact, unless you clicked on the links above and checked the underlying domains, you have no real confidence that this particular post is true, or accurate. 😉
It is important for companies to monitor the news that is being distributed about the organization. I have worked at an organization where we found someone who had intentionally published misleading and malicious information in an attempt to promote a competitor. While it did not require hacking a news system to publish the story, it is yet another area that exposes companies to unnecessary risk.
“SDVOSB” – Mark Consulting Group Registers as Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Busines August 3, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in News.Tags: CCR, cybersecurity, disabled veteran, mark consulting group, PCI DSS, risk management, SAM, SDVOSB, VA
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I have finally completed the Department of Veterans Affairs and the SAM (formerly CCR etc.) registration process to have Mark Consulting Group certified as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Hopefully, the VA will complete verification within a few days. If you are in need of information services please consider The Mark Consulting Group.
According to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) is formally defined thus:“A service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern is a business not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans, or in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans; the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans, or in the case of a veteran with a permanent and severe disability, a spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran. In addition, some businesses may be owned and operated by an eligible surviving spouse. Reservists or members of the National Guard disabled from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty or while in training status also qualify.”
“The Fortress Mentality & Data Compromises” – Chris & Heather Mark in August 2012 TransactionWorld Magazine July 31, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in cybersecurity, Data Breach.Tags: Chris Mark, compromise, data breach, data theft, Heather Mark, mark consulting group, mastercard, PCI DSS, transaction world, visa
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This month’s TransactionWorld magazine includes an article by me (Chris Mark) titled: “The Impact Of the Fortress Mentality and Today’s Compliance Strategies”. The article discusses, among other things, the Global Payments breach, PCI DSS compliance, and provides an overview and opinion on today’s focus on compliance with static standards as opposed to risk based information security. One important note. I neglected to send an updated BIO to the editor so it still references my position at ProPay. I have not worked at ProPay for over a year 😉 You can read more about my company Mark Consulting Group at www.MarkConsultingGroup.com.
Heather Mark is also in this month’s TransactionWorld with an article titled: “After the Compromise: Incident Response Plans and Mitigating the Damage” Heather speaks about data compromises and provides good insight into strategies companies can employ to minimize the impact of such breaches.
“Democracy or Friendship?” – The US Role in Supporting Democracy July 31, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Laws and Leglslation, Politics.Tags: democracy, Dr. Heather Mark, Egypt, Isreal, mark consulting group, US foreign policy, USAID
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Heather Mark completed her PhD in Public Policy & Public Administration ‘several year’ ago. Her Dissertation was titled: “The Role of the United States Foreign Policy in the Global Adoption of Democratic Governance”. The US has long espoused the position of supporting democracy. Does the US actually practice what it preaches? Here is an excerpt from Heather’s dissertation:
“As the twentieth century wore on, however, the threats to democracy became less specific, but presidents and policymakers continued to use the ideology to frame their policy statements. This begs the question: “Do the actions of the United States actually further the cause of democracy, as policymakers indicate?” If the U.S. public knew the effect of U.S. actions on democracy, would the rhetoric still be as effective?”
Download and read her dissertation here. Make your own decisions regarding the US’s role.
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 