Visa and U.S. Chamber of Commerce launch security campaign

The program involves a series of nine seminars across the country that will outline steps companies can take to better secure their own data and that of their customers.

"The only way we're going to stay ahead of tomorrow's fraud threats is if the payments industry and the merchant community work together," Steve Ruwe, Visa USA executive vice president of operations and risk management, said in a statement.

"Just as merchants have a responsiblity to meet our requirements for data security, Visa has a responsiblity to listen to merchants and understand the challenges they face on the front lines," he said.

The first seminar is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Springfield, Mo. Others will follow through September in Charlotte, N.C., Arlington/Dallas, Columbus, Ohio, Los Angeles, the Vancouver, Wash. area, Sacramento, Calif., Albany, N.Y., and Wilmington, Delaware.

The campaign features a four-step approach that involves: knowing if and how your processing software or your processor is storing data; understanding the payment industry's data security requirements; learning how to look for a card's security features; and limiting employee access to cardholder information.

Security in the payment industry has become a hot issue after a breach at payment processor CardSystems Solutions exposed millions of credit cards to fraud. Congress recently held a hearing about security in the payment card industry.

www.visa.com