MasterCard to boost security
MasterCard International stepped up efforts
yesterday to fight online fraud and protect online
merchants from hackers.
The provider of payment products unveiled its
Secure Payment Application for securing credit and
debit payments between credit cardholders and
online merchants.
SPA leverages MasterCard's Universal Cardholder
Authentication Field (UCAF) infrastructure. UCAF is
a data transport mechanism implemented by
merchants and banks that collects cardholder
authentication information and verifies that a
transaction was initiated by a legitimate cardholder.
SPA will initially be deployed through
server-based e-wallets, which automatically fill out
the forms of online merchants. SPA adds an
additional security component, a cardholder
authentication value for each transaction that can
be verified by the card issuer during payment
authorization.
MasterCard also moved to protect online merchants
from hackers. The company joined forces with risk
insurer Marsh and security service providers
Predictive Systems and Ubizen to roll out the
MasterCard Site Data Protection Service. SDP
takes a proactive approach to thwarting hackers by
identifying possible vulnerabilities in banks' and
online merchants' web sites and making
recommendations for short and long term security
improvements.
SDP will be available to MasterCard members in
the fourth quarter
From: Internetweek.com.
