Your source for the latest technology information of interest to community banks across America.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and stay on top of the latest technology trends in Hardware, Software, ATMs, Biometrics, Wireless, Online Banking, Marketing, Security, Internet Access and Call Centers.
The Cisco ASA 5520 Adaptive Security Appliance delivers a wide range of security services with Active/Active high availability and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. It has support for up to 25 VLANs, and organizations can extend their IPSec and SSL VPN capacity through multiple means to support a larger number of mobile workers, remote sites, and business partners. Using the optional security context capabilities of the appliance, organizations can deploy up to 10 virtual firewalls within an appliance to enable compartmentalized control of security policies on a departmental level.
Kensington has announced a new laptop lock designed for businesses. The Master Keyed Combination Laptop Lock uses a 4-digit combination lock that the user can set, as well as a master lock that can be held by IT staff. The combination on the cable can be set to the user's preference, and it can also be changed by the user without IT intervention. But by including the master lock, IT staff don't have to worry about losing access to the combination in case they need to remove the lock to have the system repaired. However unfortunately, the key can only be used to unlock the lock, and cannot be used to reset the combination.
~~~
ManageEngine offers a large suite of Active Directory tools that can help Windows Active Directory administrators and users in efficient handling of their Active Directory Data. Here are some of the modules that you can download:
- Password Policy Manager
- Duplicates Identifier
- Local Users Manager
- Domain and DC Roles Reporter
- AD Replication Manager
- Last Logon Reporter
- CSV Generator
- AD Query Tool
Covertix offers an email protection platform via their SmartCipher data-centric security solutions. Both messages and attachments are protected with rules-based classification, and the software supports existing systems, from Outlook to Gmail. Email can be accessed only by the designated users, devices, location, and/or role. Administrators can automatically classify specific types of email to be protected, or users can decide on a case-by-case basis which messages to protect, based on the requirements of the specific organization.
~~~
Diebold announced Janus which is a dual-sided self-service terminal that can serve two customers at once, and that offers advanced functionality in a standard ATM footprint. Janus features include:
The N&TS Group Financial System Suite is a software platform for EMV card management. The card management modules include international switching, clearing, settlement, acquiring, authorization, statements, ACS enrollment, issuing, and fraud prevention. While the terminal management modules can handle ATM management and payment tokenization.
~~~
Mitek announced Mobile Multi-Check Capture for Commercial Mobile Deposit Capture which allows businesses to make batch deposits with a mobile device. The software's features include:
Ringly announced a partnership with MasterCard that will enable consumers to pay for items with their jewelry. Users will upload their credit cards to their Ringly app, which will enable them to pay by tapping their ring on a smart payment terminal. The rings cost $195 to $260 and are compatible with iPhones and Android phones. For added convenience, the jewelry integrates with more than 80 other apps, including shopping apps like Etsy and eBay.
Mobile threats continue to increase in sophistication with the rise of adware-based malware which can root your device without your consent. These malicious Android apps can root your phone, making them almost impossible to remove. A new report by Lookout says that there are thousands of apps that appear to be legitimate in order to dupe consumers into downloading them from areas other than the Google Play store. They note that many of these apps are actually fully-functional, providing their usual services, in addition to the malicious code that roots the device in order to conduct surveillance and pilfer data.
~~~
Deep Instinct announced what they are calling the first commercially available cyber-threat detection and prevention solution based on deep learning, an advanced branch of artificial intelligence. They say that their software improves the fight against malware variants, especially zero-days and APTs that cannot be detected by signature-based solutions nor by sandboxing solutions in real-time.
~~~
Core Systems:
Supporting Omnichannel Delivery with the Core System
~~~
Relevant Solutions offers banks mobile-ready offers from top national retailers and relevant local merchants. The content can be integrated into your existing mobile banking app, or you have the options to co-brand or fully private label it. The software allows banks to generate fee income and includes a "Snap & Save" feature that lets users snap a photo or scan a paper coupon to store and file in app.
~~~
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Despite years of penetration by online and mobile methods, cash and check payments remain extremely popular. According to a new report from Aite Group, 71% of consumers made at least one person-to-person payment with cash last year, and 56% did so with a check. Surprisingly, 58% of older Millennials (26 to 34) and 53% of younger ones (18-25) wrote checks in 2014 to pay someone else, with splitting a rent bill being the most common use. Among all P2P methods, paper-based or electronic, PayPal ranks third after cash and check.
The EMV Migration Forum has released a white paper, "Implementing EMV in the U.S.: Best Practices in Support of EMV Instant Issuance," which explains best practices and implementation steps for the successful development of an EMV-enabled instant issuance program. The white paper reviews implementation risks for EMV-enabled instant issuance and give tips for each phase of execution, including:
Keystroke and finger-swipe biometrics provider BehavioSec says that their technology has 95 percent coverage among Internet banking users in the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, with 15 million users in the region. Measured in sequence and analyzed, BehavioSec said it can identify the pattern and rhythm of a user's typing on a PC. For mobile devices, they measure the X axis and Y axis coordinates of where people place their fingers, how much space their fingers cover, how hard they press their screens, and even the angle at which they hold their phones. The company states that they have a verified capture rate of 99.7 for logons, and 99.87 for full banking sessions in trials.
~~~
The Varvy SEO tool provides insight into how your website and content are performing, from the number of domains linking to yours to recent social media mentions. The complimentary tool allows you to plug in any page on your website and watch the SEO results come in. The tool covers: image optimization, content optimization, website technological issues, website speed, and links.
While many people believe that faster Internet access makes users more productive, some scientist disagree. Bart de Langhe, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado, and Stefano Puntoni, a professor at Erasmus University, contend that employees are already productive and they're not going to get much more productive as a result of an Internet speed boost. According to their report, "once a product is already fast, slight increases in its speed save proportionately less and less time."
~~~
At ICMI's recent Contact Center Demo & Conference various contact centers were recognized for innovative approaches to creating better and more efficient contact centers. For example, some centers:
- offer agents 1 - 2 additional breaks per shift to help them recover from calls and stay refreshed
- use sophisticated forecasting tools to estimate attrition and hire agents earlier than needed so they can be trained and ready to go
- solicit weekly feedback from agents on issues, trends, and possible improvements
~~~