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Visa Says No New Processor Breach After All

Posted by kdawson on from the yeah-sure dept.

Buzz has been building for the last week about what might be a new data breach at a credit-card processor. No, not Heartland, a different one. Now Computerworld is reporting that Visa claims there was no new breach. Whom to believe? "In actuality, Visa said in a statement issued today, alerts that it recently sent to banks and credit unions warning them about a compromise at a payment processor were related to the ongoing investigation of a previously known breach. However, Visa still didn't disclose the identity of the breached company, nor did it say why it is continuing to keep the name under wraps."

25 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. visa by Wonda · · Score: 1

    there's only one company they'd protect like that, themselves!

    1. Re:visa by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, no.

      Let's say the card systems at 5 chains have been compromised along with 2 small stores. Visa announces:

      "There was a breach at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Linens and Things, Sears, Gamestop, Beardo's Engineering Services, and Wonda's Chocolate Factory."

      Which businesses will survive an announcement like that? "Holy crap," think the public, "I can't buy anything from Beardo or Wonda, but I'm sure those big chains have fixed the problem."

      --

      ---
      ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
  2. Dear KDAWSON by Kawahee · · Score: 1

    Hi K,

    Could you please proof-read the stories you submit from now on, "Buzz as been building" should be "Buzz has been building" instead. Also the Windows 7 DRM article you submitted was crap. It was debunked within the first handful of comments, that:

    1. Replacing a DLL in a third party app which causes it to stop working is not Windows' fault, it's yours
    2. The folder in question is not accessible in explorer.exe, it is for legacy systems
    3. Shitty sound, in beta software? Sounds like (no pun intended) a Creative sound card.

    Kind Regards,
    Kawahee

    --
    I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
    1. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Locke2005 · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, it was a British comment, and they forgot the apostrophe -- it should have read "Buzz 'as been buildin', mate!"

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Kawahee · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now I see!

      K: I take it all back

      --
      I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
    3. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Yes, you have indeed been done a great disservice by kdawson, and well, the entire Slashdot community as a whole.

      You should definitely ask for your money back. Oh, wait...

    4. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Kawahee · · Score: 1

      You forget Slashdot is a subscription site - see?

      --
      I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
    5. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      You forget Slashdot is a subscription site - see? [slashdot.org]
      --
      I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.

      And you forget that your own sig says that you don't subscribe.

    6. Re:Dear KDAWSON by FrostDust · · Score: 1

      Just because you're providing a free service doesn't place you above criticism.

    7. Re:Dear KDAWSON by Kawahee · · Score: 2, Informative

      Slashdot advertises itself as a high quality technology news site. They ask for financial support in the form of subscriptions to be a high quality technology news site. The problem is the article kdawson posted was not high quality at all, and even though I don't pay for this service my argument is what incentive do I have to pay when shit like this comes through the "editorial" process?

      --
      I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
    8. Re:Dear KDAWSON by tome2006 · · Score: 1

      When the cold wind comes. I go where the dahlias bloom. ØØØ ØØØ-

  3. New, Old, who cares? by pfleming · · Score: 1

    We just got notice that my wife's debit card is to be replaced due to being processed through a compromised system. You would think they would work harder on closing up the holes. I got a new debit card a few years back due to the OfficeMax breach. At this rate the economic stimulus might be to put credit card "stampers" to work.

    1. Re:New, Old, who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Uh, you have to be batshit insane to even consider using a debit card in the first place. No matter what guarantees your bank has, if someone steals it then they are stealing money straight out of your bank account. This can tie up your money or worse... like cause checks or other payments to bounce (or be late) which can cause a ripple effect of charges and red tape. Not to mention that there are no laws protecting debit card users. Credit cards have a $50 maximum for fraudulent charges and that is law.

      Nothing wrong with using a credit card and paying it off with every statement. Same thing as a debit card with much lower risk.

    2. Re:New, Old, who cares? by jra · · Score: 2, Informative

      In point of fact, many debit card issuers now offer the same sort of guarantees -- Visa Check Card branded cards have a national ad campaign touting this specific fact.

  4. What are.. by metalcoat · · Score: 1

    they covering up by keeping all of this secret?

  5. This isn't the Visa you're looking for by mc1138 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Move along, move along

    --
    The musings of just another geek and his junk.
  6. Re:when vista is not telling turth by socsoc · · Score: 1

    I don't see what Vista has to do with this, but I disagree with your MasterCard statement. I couldn't get it to run on my legacy kit so I had to install Diners Club.

  7. They should be forced to reveal the company by scamper_22 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    My bank called me a few months bank and said I had to come in and change my card and password because it had been compromised. I had used my card as some store that had a malicious debit card scanner. I tried to press to find out which store it was, so I would not shop there again. They avoided answering that like the plague.

    I just hope we get this smart-chip cards soon so at least they cannot be copied. Bloody hell, here's something that could use some stimulus and regulation. Mandate the upgrade to these cards and give us the names. We need a name. Give us a name.

    So I know which company and store I will never shop at again.

    1. Re:They should be forced to reveal the company by jimicus · · Score: 1

      I just hope we get this smart-chip cards soon so at least they cannot be copied. Bloody hell, here's something that could use some stimulus and regulation. Mandate the upgrade to these cards and give us the names.

      Aw, bless.

      A few of the things that have been known to happen with the chip cards in the UK, where they were introduced a couple of years ago:

      1. The magnetic stripe's still there. Stripe gets cloned, information is sent to some far-off country and used over there where chip cards don't exist. Chip & PIN won't solve this until it's rolled out worldwide and the magnetic stripe is discontinued altogether.

      2. There are plenty of attacks which have been used with some success against Chip & PIN, including fake readers in petrol stations (either the petrol station owner is dishonest or - more likely because it seems to affect huge numbers at a time - some random bloke is coming in off the street and saying "I'm here to replace your card reader" and the person behind the counter just says "OK then").

      3. A cash machine is rigged to allow the thief to steal your card: http://www.travelfinances.com/blog/index.php/2006/12/27/card-fishing-atm-scam/

    2. Re:They should be forced to reveal the company by revoldub · · Score: 1

      I just received a letter in the mail today. It said your debit card information may have been compromised from Feb. 2008 to Nov. 2008.

      No further direction was given. Not even whether I need to act further on the matter or not. Just a page saying it was breached and telling me I should check my web track of daily transactions. I do!

  8. translation by speedtux · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What they seem to be saying in so many words is: "There have been so many data breaches that we have lost track of which ones we have already told you about."

  9. !vista by russlar · · Score: 1

    I read the headline too quickly, and thought it said "Vista Says No New Processor Breach After All."

    --
    Anybody want my mod points?
  10. Re:when vista is not telling turth by Jurily · · Score: 2, Funny

    getting modded 0, Funny: priceless.

  11. I'm Getting a New Credit Card by DeanFox · · Score: 1


    I got a letter in the mail just yesterday from my Credit Union saying they're issuing me a new credit card. The reason they stated was specifically because of the Heartland breach by name.

    I think it costs them $10.00-$15.00 for a new card when all is said and done. I don't know if they're issuing new cards to everyone or just those who have had activity at a merchant tied to Heartland. Even limited this is going to cost the banks money and that's they way it should be. When fraud become more expensive than the fix, that's when it will get fixed. We legislated corporations into person-hood but never legislated morals to go with it.

    -[d]-

  12. Cash is King by gremlin_591002 · · Score: 1

    I'm tired of worrying about it. I'm switching back to cash.