By creating what is, in essence, a virtual smart card, the merchant can actually process the transaction as if it were supported by a physical credit card. Wrinkles on this include digital signatures, credit card encryption and discount payment services. The advantage over traditional IT security systems is support for one-time transactions. IT departments will, of course, play a critical role in implementing such transactional security and working with the company's business partners. You no longer have to sell protection but rather customer benefit.
Security goes from risk avoidance to business enablement.
This is no April Fools' joke. Now is the time to speak up and influence these discussions. So protecting the Net is of vital importance to businesses, whose IT assets are now operating in a war zone. Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.