When Millions of Transactions Are at Stake, There’s No Room for Error

With the emergence of e-commerce, the information technology that is the foundation of online shopping is even more important as it secures, processes and stores the millions of online transactions that occur every year. Batch processing is being replaced by real-time information exchange enabled by a range of network-based applications.

But the increased usage and dependency upon information comes the responsibility to protect it. Clearly, customer-specific data must be kept confidential. It is also essential to ensure the integrity and availability of the networks and systems used to process customer data—-particularly as these increasingly become the lifeblood upon which retailers depend.

IT professionals in the retail industry are using the MetaFlows Security System to:

• Support PCI DSS compliance. Batch and real-time exchanges of transaction details with credit card companies and other financial institutions create a link to an environment that is much more tightly controlled, and even regulated. One significant implication is that virtually all merchants who process credit card transactions are subject, at least in part, to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard external link (PCI DSS). Emphasis in the PCI DSS standard is placed on establishing robust access controls and subsequently being able to monitor and audit for undesirable activities, in particular, by using both host and network intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS).

• Offer a secure online shopping experience. With very few exceptions, it is an absolute necessity that retailers complement their physical stores with an online shopping option. This, of course, means having to deal with the wide range of threats (fraud, worms, viruses, malicious hacking) that an Internet-based storefront brings with it.

• Ensure integrity and availability of a vast array of network-based applications. Increasingly, both achieving operational excellence and ensuring a positive shopping experience are becoming dependent on supporting a plethora of network-based applications (e.g., traffic counting systems, customer loyalty programs, warehouse management systems, transportation management systems, self-service kiosks, in-store employee training). This translates into the need to better ensure the availability, capacity, and performance of associated networks and systems.