Main Street retailers in hacker crosshairs

The nation's 5 million retail stores are proving to be an easy target for data thieves.
The New York Times

The story "Main Street retailers in hacker crosshairs" published July 25, 2005 at 10:05 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Get_Bent]

There are 2 easy fixes for this problem

First, hold the store owners legally accountable for their insecure networks. If they don't know how to process credit card information securely, maybe they shouldn't be allowed to do it (duh!). Basic security training and certification should be a mandatory prerequisite. If the store owners complain that they can't afford the training, then the credit card companies should say that they can't afford the risk of doing business with them.

Second, don't use wireless networking! This is nothing more than short-range radio. When you add in the fact that many people have absolutely no clue how to secure a WiFi setup, you're begging for trouble. If these stores had been using wired networking instead, they would have little to worry about eavesdroppers (keystroke loggers, trojan horses, and spyware are a different problem). It may be more inconvenient and a little more expensive to run the cables, but it pays off in the long run.

[R. U. Sirius]

Okay, Let's Fix This Travesty

1. If businesses do not secure their networks and data which has MY personal information, they need to be held liable. We're talking major restitution and fines here folks. No more of this practice of letting businesses toss our personal data to theives far and wide.

2. Credit card companies better get their act together. Enforce strict standards of practice to any business that accepts credit cards. You too need to be held liable as in point #1 above.

3. Wifi providers better get well defined security capabilities in place pronto. You too need to be held liable as per point #1 above.

I, Professor Sirius, am getting tired of reading stories of major security breaches that occur on a weekly basis. As a citizen, I demand that my right to privacy be upheld and honored by business.