EVS Blog

Every day I read about data breaches, identity theft rings, malware, and other security risks that impact individuals and businesses alike. For individuals in the identity verification and fraud prevention industries it is easy to become paranoid. The reality is that it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of fraud; the good news is that you (probably) don’t have to.

I addition to the usual type of disaster-related frauds, a recent uptick in targeted phishing attacks (spear phishing an whaling) has been observed in the wild seeking to compromise business e-mail accounts. With a record number of employees working remotely due to the current crisis, the threat of compromised e-mail credentials is greater than ever.

With the mainstream coverage of breaches, hacks, and identity fraud over the past few years it should be no surprise to see massive amounts of VC funding being funneled to new technology solutions that promise the solution. The rush to market for these solutions may be contributing to the problem more than solving it, however.

When it comes to business, shouldn’t business owners do all they can do protect both their investment (the business) and their customers? After all, there are no laws or regulations that mandate security cameras, alarms or even locks on doors…but most businesses have these physical security devices in place.

While the current switch to EMV in the US is certainly part of the reason for increasing CNP fraud, there are other factors that have also contributed to the spike. Key factors for the increase include the general growth of Ecommerce, the rising popularity of E-gift cards, and the increased use of in-store pickup.