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2015 is over and in the books. It was a pretty busy year for those of us in security & payments. My company went IPO, the largest compliance provider sold (instead of IPO), adult websites were hacked and in some cases extorted, new books and publications, lots of blogs, a step back on SSL restrictions, and EMV. Thanks for continuing to stop by and check out my content. Looking forward to a great 2016 and I will see you at a conference soon! Here’s what you folks liked the most in 2015: Is The Council Trying to Kill the QSA Program? Obviously, any post where you reference Christina Aguilera is going to be something you all will love. The Council finally ...

Cooler weather and horrible flooding seem to be topping the news lately. My thoughts are with any of you who are affected. For information on how you can help, and I urge you all to do so, check out this page on Weather.com. We just wrapped up the PCI North American Community Meeting in Vancouver last week. Some of you may have remember me saying that last year was my last year. Alas, I was mistaken. That said, I hope everyone who went sends in their feedback. Frankly, I found the content (with the exception of Tim Horton’s talk) mundane and rehashed, almost to the point of being insulting. Next year may provide some relief as it is a release ...

Phew, summer is almost over. The kids are all going back to school and we’re getting back into our normal traffic patterns around our homes, schools, and favorite coffee shops. I got to do something extremely cool last month. I went to Space Camp—yes, the very same in Huntsville that every single kid who grew up in the 80s and was fascinated with rockets begged their parents to go to. It was amazing. If you get the opportunity to go as an adult for the weekend or as a family, take it! Even though the Shuttle is no longer in operation, it was so cool to sit on the flight deck and do missions. Here’s what you folks liked the ...

It finally happened last month. In May, North Texas set a record for being the wettest may on record. For those of you who have been watching from afar, check out this great infographic that shows how much 35 trillion gallons of water will cover. In other news, we had a major breach that is having bigger impacts than many realize, we are seeing the first reports and fall-out from PCI DSS 3.1, and key provisions of the Patriot Act expired. Here’s what you folks liked the most last month: The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. Maybe the economy is heating up? Who knows why this one is still at the top. Regardless, more people inquiring about ...

It finally happened last month. In May, North Texas set a record for being the wettest may on record. For those of you who have been watching from afar, check out this great infographic that shows how much 35 trillion gallons of water will cover. In other news, we had a major breach that is having bigger impacts than many realize, we are seeing the first reports and fall-out from PCI DSS 3.1, and key provisions of the Patriot Act expired. Here’s what you folks liked the most last month: The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. Maybe the economy is heating up? Who knows why this one is still at the top. Regardless, more people inquiring about ...

Shush it. I know it’s been a little slow around here. There are some major things in the works! I started a new gig, for one, which is consuming the bulk of my time. I’m also working on a 3.1 addendum to our book, which should be out by the summer. March and April were some busy months for many of us. Three major shows (MAC, ETA, and RSA Conference) all happened in those months. PCI DSS 3.1 was released. You paid your taxes (hopefully). Here’s what you folks liked the most last month: The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. Maybe the economy is heating up? Who knows why this one is still at the top. Regardless, ...

January is gone and football is over. There have not been too many posts around here to speak of, but it’s a new year! I will have good news soon, so stay tuned! Don’t forget, the latest edition of our book finally hit the shelves. Thanks for sending pictures of you with your new books! If you need to order your copy, head over to the website at www.pcicompliancebook.info. Here’s what you folks liked the most last month: The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. It’s the holidays, and possibly the time when we encounter trouble with transactions the most. Thus, more people inquiring about customer service! Check out this diversion from security that will make you think ...

This month has been a departure from the norm as we discussed some of the survival tips that young (and sometimes experienced) professionals lack—hurting their advancement and survival opportunities. Once again, you are all very interested in customer service, how you define cardholder data, and the fun economics of the Starbucks gift card (which is still growing at a great clip). Here’s what you guys liked the most last month. The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. The economy is humming along quite nicely. How do we know? Because people are getting poor customer service and reading posts like this one. Is customer service is less important now that customers are easiser to come by? Check out this ...

What was popular in May? It’s almost summer time! And of course, we have all kinds of horrific weather impacting parts of the country that many of us call home. I played an extra in a show about hackers (does this mean I need to join SAG?), and have been speaking to all kinds of companies about their products and services. I even spoke at a few shows and did a webcast! Here are the five most popular posts from the last month: How Starbucks is Revolutionizing Mobile (Micro) Payments. This post just won’t quit! It switched places with the next post from last month, but it’s still a big deal. You know how you see those crazy fools that ...

What was popular in April? April was a rough month for many folks (as it historically has been). We have had crazy weather all over the US, and I was able to experience a few new cities with El Wiforino. Thank goodness for the great food choices in London! I’m so glad that was our last stop. Here are the five most popular posts from the last month: The Only Customer Service Script You Will Ever Need. This is the post that keeps on bringing people back! Maybe spring break travel issues? Check out this diversion from security that will make you think about how you interact with your customers. How Starbucks is Revolutionizing Mobile (Micro) Payments. For the fourth ...