Agentless Backup is Not a Myth

Credit and debit card processor Global Payments has warned that additional confidential information on its servers may have been compromised in the hacking attack earlier this year that saw around 1.5 million credit card details snatched.

In a press call, company CEO Paul Garcia said that subsequent investigations internally and by federal authorities into that attack have shown that confidential information submitted by small merchant customers may have been compromised, although it wasn't clear if the attackers had scanned it.

Garcia declined to give details on the nature of the information or the numbers of customers effected, but said that each would get $1m in identity fraud insurance paid for by the company. Credit agencies have also been informed and those at risk would be contacted. So far there was only "anecdotal" evidence of fraud on the stolen credit cards and none on the new leak, he said.

In an effort to woo back lost customers like Visa, Global Payments has drafted in an independent consultant to examine its security and data handling procedures. Some payment companies have pulled Global Payments from their data security standard (PCI DSS) list and Garcia said that his staff would then make any changes suggested in the consultant's report and reapply for certification.

Despite the loss of revenue stemming from the attack, Garcia said that the company was sticking with its current financial forecasts for the year and expects this to be a one-time cost to the balance sheet. ®

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