The HomeATM blog, which launched in obscurity in March of 2008, garnered a whopping 139 hits in it's first three weeks... which calculates to something along the lines of 7 hits per day.
But, in the interest of providing a resource for information regarding/relevant to eCommerce security, (with a few plugs about HomeATM along the way) I am pleased to announce that the PIN Payments HomeATM blog has reached a relatively notable milestone, as we surpassed the 250,000 unique viewer plateau over the weekend.
But, in the interest of providing a resource for information regarding/relevant to eCommerce security, (with a few plugs about HomeATM along the way) I am pleased to announce that the PIN Payments HomeATM blog has reached a relatively notable milestone, as we surpassed the 250,000 unique viewer plateau over the weekend.
The PIN Payments HomeATM blog has focused on web based payments security and has suggested on more than one occasion that a hardware based solution vs. a software solution is not only more secure, but in my mind, more convenient as well. (I'd rather swipe my card "one-time" than enter 14-16 numbers, the expiration date and the CVV code)
In addition to PIN based payments, the blog has continued to strive to include the widest variety of information regarding ongoing and emerging threats to online commerce, including but not limited to; hacking, malware, man-in-the-middle attacks, breaches, phishing, war driving, card cloning and more.
In addition to PIN based payments, the blog has continued to strive to include the widest variety of information regarding ongoing and emerging threats to online commerce, including but not limited to; hacking, malware, man-in-the-middle attacks, breaches, phishing, war driving, card cloning and more.
The latest focus of the HomeATM blog has been online banking and the flaws created by using "username/password" credentials for log-in. Phishing is one obvious threat, but as you can see in one of today's postings, all it takes is a clever hacker to "impersonate, imitate, or clone" a bank's website and the problem becomes greatly exacerbated. In fact, one story regarding that subject (Anti-Phishing With Two-Factor Authentication) was included in the UK's FinanSer's "recommended reading" alongside stories from the New York Times, the BBC, The Register, The Guardian and more.
Those who have reached the blog looking for solutions to or stories about ecommerce fraud often times find a bit of sarcasm mixed into the stories, sarcasm which originates from the deeply held belief that it seems so obvious, especially in light of the stories covered by the blog, that the way it's being done (focusing on convenience over security) isn't working.
Thus I tend to include pictures/images which are intended to amuse, if not bemuse, the reader. I assure you it's all done in fun, sometimes to entertain myself if not you. So if you see the picture on the right in an article about Vaporware, it's all in fun...so are the tongue-in-cheek, (sometimes not so cheeky) sarcdonic overtones I apply to my opinon when it comes to players in the industry making moves which are in direct contradiction of (for example) their own published white-papers. Speaking about "sardonic undertones" HomeATM CEO Ken Magessays that Frank (me) has been more than a bit controversial...which has oftencaused him to explain John's unique sense of dry humor but Magesiterates that, "I wouldn't trade John for anybody blogging or using Web2.0 marketing on the Internet today." (Wow!...those are extremely kindwords coming from our CEO...plus it's nice to know that I have a no-tradeclause! :-)
Getting back to some of the circumstances behind my sarcasm, when an alternative payment emerges, which I feel is riddled with security flaws, and it gains momentum, or garners praise from the media and/or supposed "analysts" I feel I have a responsibility to point out the flaws. So that's what I do. I ask the questions they don't.
While I'm on the subject of "alternative payments" I would remind you that the fact of the matter is that HomeATM is NOT an alternative payment at all. PIN Debit is a "mainstream" payment...in fact it is the preferred payment method by consumers and merchants alike. Since we 100% replicate the brick and mortar PIN Debit transaction, except that we do it, (in most cases by encrypting the Track 2 data) more securely, I would suggest that HomeATM's PIN Debit platform for the Internet has the potential to become the most preferred payment method on the web. After all, it is the ONLY true PIN Debit application and we manufacture the first and only PCI 2.0 Certified PIN Entry Device. The trick is to get our PED into the hands of consumers. The treat is that we've got the cost down to (in quantity) $12.00.
Ken Mages suggested I include the following line in this post: "John B. Frank the HomeATM blogger and marketing guru says the best part of his day is "XXXXXXXXXXX"
I had to think about this for a while. I suppose there are "several best parts" of my day. Every time I come across, and thus can share, a story which reiterates what we've been saying on this blog for the last 15 months, it makes my day. But at the end of the day, the best part about editing the HomeATM blog is that I sincerely believe that it won't be long before "everybody" "sees and agrees" with the fact that "in order to secure financial transactions done via the Internet, it MUST be done "outside the browser space."
So "thanks" to each and every 250,000+ of you who have visited the blog and always remember: "Don't TYPE...Swipe!"
JBF
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Congrats on hitting, or on being hit by, 250k uniques - that is quite an achievement and a testament to the invaluable resource PinPayments Blog has become - Kudos!