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Tablets continue to make inroads into branches primarily as tools to demonstrate online and mobile banking and to help streamline the onboarding process. Yet there are hurdles to overcome such as:
- implementing secure Wi-Fi
- training employees
- preventing tablet theft
- lack of tablet software from many branch software vendors
- the need to create customized in-branch apps that integrate into other devices like ATMs and instant-issue debit card machines
Savvius Insight is a mini network appliance that delivers vital network performance and security information. The size of a small paperback, Savvius Insight includes Savvius OmniPeek network performance management software for monitoring and local or remote troubleshooting, and Splunk Forwarder to send network analytics to Splunk Enterprise or Splunk Cloud.
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So called snowflake servers are machines that are uniquely configured and therefor difficult to reproduce. A good way to avoid snowflakes is to hold the entire operating configuration of the server in some form of automated recipe. One popular tool is called Puppet and it can lay down the initial operating system configurations on a new machine as well as help automate the management of configurations across your entire data center. Many organizations get started with Puppet Enterprise by automating the activities around configuring a new OS (e.g., NTP, DNS, SSH, etc.). Many then build on that base configuration management practice, automating more advanced areas such as application deployment or updating and patching.
Go2PDF is freeware for converting documents, including text files, into PDF files. This utility doesn't have a user interface - it exists on your system as a virtual printer driver. Any document can be converted to PDF format simply by "printing" it.
Security products should be regularly updated, just like any software. One area of concern is outsourced security appliances - are they up to date? Many security experts recommend strong due diligence on third party vendors to ensure that they are keeping their devices properly patched.
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Source Technologies says that their 8-Series personal teller machine (PTM) automates 80–90 percent of teller transactions. The company recently added mobile wallet acceptance and tablet assistance to the machines. The PTM supports NFC mobile wallets from Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, and others. If a user experiences trouble using the PTM, staff can step in and operate the kiosk via a tablet.
Diebold, in partnership with SimplyTapp, a mobile near field communications (NFC) payment and host card emulation (HCE) technology company, are now offering a secure, white-label mobile wallet offering. Through their onboarding process, XPRESSION SafeLoad, Diebold`s Mobile Cash Access solution helps reduce fraud by using the secure architecture of the ATM network to onboard the user`s card through the use of standard card present PIN-secured technology. On the ATM screen, consumers are given the option to enroll in their banks` mobile wallet. Once they choose this option, they enter their mobile phone number and receive a text message with a link to download the application. Automatically, the consumers` card data is securely encrypted in the form of tokens and transferred from the ATM to the card issuer`s secure, virtual cloud via SimplyTapp`s HCE solution. This allows the consumer to immediately start using the NFC tap-to-pay functionality on their phone, which can be done at the ATM or any point-of-sale device that accepts contactless payments.
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Microsoft is planning to relaunch Windows Wallet, a mobile payments app that stores credit cards, coupons, and customership information. They say that their app will improve both the in-store payment experience and online payments with Windows devices. It is possible that Windows Hello, the company's new facial recognition technology in the Windows 10 operating system, could be incorporated into the app to assist with strong authentication.
To promote employee health and fitness, Barclays is offering to pitch in and help tens of thousands of staffers buy Fitbit devices. As part of this unique program, 75,000 employees in the US and UK will have the chance to buy a subsidized Fitbit. Using Fitbit's mobile messaging, real time dashboards, and gamification, Barclays plans to add competition to the wellness program by introducing competition between different departments.
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Synack has launched their new Hydra Technology Platform which combines a modern vulnerability scanner with their Synack Red Team's expertise. Hydra`s continuous monitoring capabilities are designed to streamline the SRT`s reconnaissance phase of the testing process, allowing them to test faster and deeper across enterprise assets. The Silicon Valley-based company says that their proactive solution is the first to combine the power of human intelligence with advanced vulnerability intelligence technology to help prevent attacks as well as profile an organization's vulnerability to attack.
By some accounts, the majority of recent breaches involve exploiting a third party vendor. In attempt to thwart this problem, Bay Dynamics has come out with their Vendor Risk Assurance solution that they say helps organizations identify, analyze and remediate risky behaviors among third party vendors. The platform includes:
· A prioritized list of top risky vendors
· A comprehensive profile of all vendors and their daily behaviors
· Actionable intelligence for unusual vendor behavior
· Effective incident remediation for vendor users that showcase anomalous user behavior
· Automated notification of risky vendor behavior
F-Secure has launched the Cyber Security Stress Test that consists of a 20-page questionnaire aimed at IT professionals. It covers a range of topics including endpoint protection, network security as well as company roles and policies. When information is submitted, the complimentary tool rates an organization's security standing through risk ratings. F-Secure also provides assistance and advice in improving security strategies.
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Core Systems:
Supporting Omnichannel Delivery with the Core System
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Visa announced the launch of Visa Integrated Marketing Solutions (VIMS), a card marketing platform designed to help small to medium-sized issuers optimize their marketing efforts. The VIMS platform enables the development and execution of key marketing services across the cardholder lifecycle – from acquiring new cardholders to cardholder retention. You can develop offers and creative designs, with templates that can be customized with your branding, card art, and product specifications.
Banks that target small business owners may want to consider using LinkedIn. With advanced searches on LinkedIn, marketers interested in networking with local business professionals can easily narrow their targets with a range of identifying factors. You can search with zip codes and then narrow by business size, type of business as well as job title.
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Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Bottomline Technologies announced the launch of Digital Banking 3.0 which is an integrated, cloud-ready technology platform that includes cash management, customer acquisition and on-boarding, and fraud and risk management solutions. Digital Banking 3.0 also includes payments services, sales and marketing tools, and data and analytics capabilities.
Many security experts contend that one-time passwords are unacceptable for online banking authentication because they are outdated and easily compromised. Companies such as Entersekt say that instead of relying on the compromised cellular networks and open SMS protocol, banks ought to look at deploying industry-standard X.509 digital certificates.
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A Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) has numerous advantages over traditional Internet VPNs, particularly in terms of performance and management issues. SD-WAN solutions are capable of separating the underlying infrastructure from the overlay network - they are aware of a pool of connectivity such as an ADSL2+ circuit, a cable modem link and 4G/LTE wireless service. A SD-WAN continuously measures the performance and throughput available over each path, and if a connection breaks or is performing poorly, it just drops out of the available pool until it is restored. SD-WAN offerings include built-in visibility of usage levels and performance on the network which makes troubleshooting and capacity management much easier.
Imperva is reporting that a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack originated from surveillance cameras protecting businesses around the world instead of a typical computer botnet. Researchers from Imperva's Incapsula team said that the attack originated from around 900 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras running embedded versions of Linux and the BusyBox toolkit. All of the cameras were accessible over the Internet via Telnet or SSH with default or weak credentials.
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Most mobile banking apps require you to leave your session to call the contact center, but Bank of America has come out with a new mobile banking feature that can automatically pass detailed personal information about mobile users to call center agents. Their new “Speak to a Specialist” feature can transfer data automatically about who the mobile banker is and what they were doing on the app in the minutes before the call. The goal is to provide call center agents with knowledge that will help them deliver speedy and personalized service.
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