President Obama has issued an executive order telling agencies to transition payment processing terminals and credit, debit, and other payment cards to employ enhanced security features, including chip-and-PIN technology.
“While the U.S. Government’s credit, debit, and other payment card programs already include protections against fraud, the Government must further strengthen the security of consumer data and encourage the adoption of enhanced safeguards nationwide in a manner that protects privacy and confidentiality while maintaining an efficient and innovative financial system,” it says.
It said that effective in January, processing terminals acquired by agencies through the Treasury or through alternative means authorized by the Treasury must include hardware necessary to support such enhanced security features. Similarly, GSA is to ensure that credit, debit, and other payment cards provided through its contracts have enhanced security features, and must begin replacing credit, debit, and other payment cards without enhanced security features. And other agencies with credit, debit, and other payment card programs must produce plans for ensuring that those cards have enhanced security features.
The order further calls for the government to produce within 90 days a plan to ensure that all agencies making personal data accessible to citizens through digital applications require the use of multiple factors of authentication and an effective identity proofing process.
The order is here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/17/executive-order-improving-security-consumer-financial-transactions
