Banking Information Security Podcast

It's become a cliché: Information security professionals need to get closer to the business. Now it's also a Master's degree program in which instructors base their whole curriculum on helping security professionals get closer to - and rise higher in the ranks of - their companies and agencies. In an exclusive interview, John Orlando, MSBC Program Director at Norwich University, talks about the school's Masters of Science in Information Assurance, discussing: What's unique about this program; Requirements for students entering the program; How the MSIA helps security professionals advance their careers.

Interview With Dick Langford, VP, BB&T What happens after a major security breach such as the Heartland Payment Systems hack? How do banking institutions go about notifying their customers - whose responsibility is it? At BB&T in Winston-Salem, NC, the role is filled by Dick Langford, Vice President and Manager, Information Security Compliance Management. In an exclusive interview, Langford discusses: How BB&T approaches client notification; Lessons learned from security breach response; The different ways the bank approaches customer awareness to meet all customers' needs. Langford has 19 years experience in information protection in the financial sector. Previously with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, he has managed elements of BB&T's information protection program since 1998. His current responsibility is directing a network of over 100 Information Security Compliance Managers representing each line of business, subsidiary, and affiliate company in BB&T Corporation, thereby ensuring compl

Melinda Love, a longtime leader in the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has just been appointed the new Director of the NCUA's Office of Examination and Insurance. In an exclusive interview, Love discusses her new role and regulatory priorities for credit unions in 2009, offering insight on: Challenges and opportunities for credit unions in the current economy; 2009 regulatory priorities, including risk management systems and vendor management; How credit unions are faring with the newly-enforced Identity Theft Red Flags Rule. A seasoned NCUA executive, Love has served as regional director of the NCUA's Region V office for 5 1/2 years, and she served as director of the former Chicago regional office. Love is a past NCUA deputy executive director and she has also served as deputy director within NCUA's Office of Examination and Insurance. Her NCUA career began in 1986 as an examiner in Northern California. She is a former principal examiner, problem case officer, supervision analyst, supervisor

The Heartland Payment Systems data breach is on everyone's mind, and the case is in the hands now of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if it chooses to investigate. While the FTC will neither confirm nor deny a Heartland investigation, staff attorney Alain Sheer does offer his insight on: How the FTC investigates data breaches like Heartland's; The timeline and milestones of such an investigation; Details of the CardSystems data breach - which closely resembles Heartland's.

Scores of banking institutions have stepped forward and said they and their customers have been impacted by the Heartland Payment Systems data breach. But what can and should they do to understand and respond to the breach? In an exclusive interview, Doug Johnson of the American Bankers Association discusses: What the ABA knows now about the Heartland breach; Where banking institutions can go to get additional information; What to tell bank customers; Resources the ABA offers member institutions re: data breaches. Johnson serves as Senior Policy Analyst for the American Bankers Association, where his public policy responsibilities include payments system technology and the relationship between technology, privacy, and security. He also advises the ABA and its members on a variety of other matters, including social security reform, real estate brokerage, mortgage finance, and public funds.

The Obama Administration has stepped forward with its plan to rebuild the troubled U.S. financial system. And the market has responded by retreating. Where did the Administration go wrong with its announcement this week, and what does the economy truly need to start to rebuild liquidity and confidence? In this exclusive interview, economist Alan Madian shares insights on: The Obama Administration's missteps; What the banking industry needs to regain its strength; Economic signs to look for in the months ahead. Madian is an economist, management consultant and investment banker who currently serves as a director with LECG, a global expert services and consulting firm. He has provided services as an expert witness, policy advisor, strategy and implementation consultant, and financial advisor for more than 25 years. He has testified on damages and liability in commercial litigation, on the determination of regulated rates of return, and on contractual allocation of risk. Madian has conducted antitrust and ma

What does the Obama Administration's financial industry rescue plan offer that's different from the Bush Administration's approach? Not much, says William Isaac, former FDIC Chair (1981-85). In an exclusive interview, Isaac discusses: What the new plan means to the banking industry; The types of reform the industry really needs; How and why today's economic crisis differs from the Great Depression and other historic downturns. Isaac is chairman of the Secura Group, a leading financial institutions consulting firm, operating as a division of LECG. The Secura Group provides financial advisory services, strategic planning, regulatory counseling, risk-management services, strategic studies, and general management consulting for financial institutions. LECG, of which Isaac is a managing director, is one of the world's leading expert services firm with professionals serving Global Fortune 500 firms from offices around the world. Isaac also serves as chairman of various Isaac family real estate development com

On Tues., Feb. 10, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled the Obama Administration's new strategy for easing the credit crunch and strengthening the U.S. banking industry. In an exclusive interview, Nancy Atkinson, senior analyst at Aite Group LLC, discusses: How the new plan differs from the Bush Administration's; What the Obama plan means to the banking industry; What we should expect to see for immediate changes - and how these changes may impact risk management and information security. Nancy Atkinson is a senior analyst at Aite Group, LLC, specializing in wholesale banking issues including wholesale payments, trade finance and financial supply chain and working capital management. Her recent research has focused on electronic check processing and clearing, innovation in accounts payables and receivables, and transitions in the global wholesale payments market. She has also examined opportunities to leverage procurement cards in corporate payables and the impact of health savings accounts on ba

The number of identity fraud victims has increased 22 percent in the U.S., costing 9.9 million victims a total of $48 billion in 2008. This is the news from the fifth annual Identity Fraud Survey Report from Javelin Strategy & Research. In an exclusive interview, James Van Dyke, Javelin founder and President, discusses: Highlights - and surprises - from the study; What it all means to banking institutions; Trends for institutions and their consumers to watch for in 2009.

The economy is down, phishing is up, and banking customers are increasingly targeted by multi-channel fraud schemes. Now, more than ever, customer awareness efforts are key for banking/security professionals. In this exclusive interview, Debbie Wheeler, CISO of Fifth Third Bank, discusses: Her information security's teams successful efforts to improve customer awareness; How her institution and security team have been affected by the economy; Ways in which non-banking institutions can improve information security by following banks' example. Debbie Wheeler is the Chief Information Security Officer for Fifth Third Bank. She has held this role since April, 2005. Wheeler has worked in Information Technology for 19 years - the past 14 in the area of Information Security and Risk Management. She achieved her CISSP status in 2000 and has applied her security skills and expertise in the healthcare, telecommunications and financial services fields.

In another installment of our ongoing series of discussions with banking leaders, John E. McWeeney Jr., Co-President/Co-CEO NJBankers, offers insights on: The top issues of concern to NJ banking institutions; Thoughts on TARP and other proposed banking assistance programs; How banks are succeeding at bolstering customer confidence. McWeeney joined NJBankers as president and chief executive officer on April 16, 2007 after a nearly 28-year career with Bank of America and its predecessor in the New Jersey region, Fleet Bank. McWeeney had been Bank of America's market president for Southern New Jersey after holding various positions of increasing responsibility within the bank, including executive vice president and director of the Professional Services Group and executive vice president and regional director of Small Business Services for metropolitan New York.

In the public eye, the federal government's Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) is commonly referred to as the "banking bailout." But Alex Sanchez, President/CEO of the Florida Bankers Association, wants to dispel that notion. In this exclusive interview, Sanchez shares insight on: His member institutions' attitude toward the TARP program and government investment in banks; Top banking/security challenges in 2009; What FL institutions are doing to strengthen and ensure customer confidence. Sanchez serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Bankers Association (FBA). Founded in 1888, and located in Tallahassee, the FBA is the leading voice for Florida's banking industry. Sanchez' responsibilities include representing and advocating for Florida's banking industry before all legislative and regulatory bodies in Tallahassee and in Washington. Before joining the FBA, he was an attorney at Sinclair Louis, a Miami based law firm, specializing in business law; Consolidated Bank, Assist

From the recession to the TARP program to the Heartland data breach, it's been a busy year already for U.S. banking institutions. But how are these situations being felt and dealt with on Main Street? In an exclusive interview, Jeff Krejci, Chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association and President of First State Bank, Lincoln, NE, discusses: How community banks are responding to economic challenges; The impact of incidents such as the Heartland breach; The dilemma posed to bankers by the federal TARP funds and 'Bad Bank' concept.

The Heartland Payment Systems data breach - it's the first major security incident of 2009. But how big is it really? What are the key takeaways for banking institutions left explaining this breach to their customers? In an exclusive interview, James Van Dyke, Founder and President of Javelin Strategy & Research, discusses the implications of the Heartland case, offering insight on: Conclusions we can draw from the Heartland breach; How banking institutions should communicate with their customers; Vulnerabilities we should watch to avoid the next big breach. Van Dyke is founder and president of Javelin Strategy & Research. Javelin is the leading provider of independent, quantitative and qualitative research for payments, multi-channel financial services, security and fraud initiatives. Javelin's clients include the largest financial institutions, card issuers and technology vendors in the industry.

Higher education hasn't been immune to the ravages of the recession economy. Scholarships and tuition reimbursements are tougher for students to come by, and career opportunities have diminished. That said, job opportunities for information security students abound - in both the private and public sectors. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Peter Stephenson, CISO at Norwich University, discusses: His school's graduate and undergraduate security programs; How Norwich is preparing students for careers in information security; Ways that businesses and government agencies can collaborate with educational institutions to better prepare students for productive careers. Stephenson is a writer, consultant, researcher and lecturer on information assurance and risk, digital investigation and forensics on large-scale computer networks. He has lectured extensively on digital investigation and security and has written or contributed to 14 books and several hundred articles, in major national and international trade,

We all know we're mired in an historic global recession - the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, and it may well prove to be the longest. But when can we hope to escape it? In this exclusive interview, Ed Friedman, a director with Moody's Economy.com, a division of Moody's Analytics, shares fresh insights on: The latest economic signs and what they mean; Unique economic factors for banking institutions to weigh; What to expect from the new Administration in the months ahead. Ed Friedman is a director of Moody's Economy.com. He covers the states of Texas and Minnesota, provides monthly summaries of the U.S. financial industry, and maintains a high-frequency econometric model used to estimate current-quarter GDP. Dr. Friedman also edits monthly regional and macroeconomic publications, is participating in a project to expand metropolitan area forecasting to foreign cities, and manages the work of junior personnel. Now based in the company's West Chester PA office, he previously worked fo

Randy Caraway, a banking/information security consultant, not only knows about the impact of economic conditions on banking institutions - he's felt them personally. Formerly with JPMorgan Chase, Caraway now consults privately, serves on the CISM certification board for ISACA, and in this exclusive interview offers insights on: How banking/security leaders should protect their careers; This year's major security and compliance priorities; How to mitigate the insider threat.

Regulatory compliance is the backbone of a financial institution's information security program. But compliance alone isn't enough, says John Pironti of ISACA's Education Board, who advises institutions to take a risk-based, not a "checklist-based" approach to security. In an exclusive interview, Pironti discusses: The risks of 'Security by Compliance'; Top risk management/compliance issues of 2009; What will be the most in-demand skills and job opportunities for information security professionals. In addition to his role with ISACA, Pironti is currently the Chief Information Risk Strategist for CompuCom. He has designed and implemented enterprise wide electronic business solutions, information security programs, and threat and vulnerability management solutions for key customers in a range of industries, including financial services, government, hospitality, aerospace and information technology on a global scale. Pironti has a number of industry certifications including Certified in the Governance of Ente

Looking ahead to 2009, banking/security guru Steve Katz quotes the ancient proverb: "May you live in interesting times." With a new administration, new banking landscape and regulatory changes expected, we live in interesting times, indeed. In an exclusive interview, Katz discusses: The biggest banking/security stories of 2008; What banking institutions must do to strengthen customer confidence in 2009; What we might expect in terms of regulatory change from the Obama administration and Democratic Congress. The world's first Chief Information Security Officer, Steve Katz is a prominent figure in the network security discipline. Since 1985, he has served as the senior security executive for Citibank/Citigroup, JP Morgan, and most recently Merrill Lynch - and has been a force in raising the visibility and shaping the direction of the security industry at industry and government levels. Deeply respected within both the financial services and security industries, Katz has testified to Congress on informatio

Given 2008's global financial crisis, what can we expect in terms of new legislation and regulation in 2009? Aite Group, the Boston-based financial services analyst firm, takes a stab at answering this question in a new report "What Next? Legislative and Regulatory Response to the Financial Crisis." In an exclusive interview, Aite Analyst Eva Weber discusses: Initial conclusions from the study; Recommendations for financial institutions in 2009; Key takeaways for banking/security leaders who need to be concerned with all threats to their institutions. Weber focuses on the regulatory and compliance issues facing financial institutions. Recent research has focused on anti-money laundering, risk management, fraud, and bank regulation at the federal and state levels. She brings to the position research and analytical skills gained in five years as a practicing attorney, and has helped Aite Group clients respond to major regulatory initiatives, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Ac