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Google’s PIN Pains: Will Citi Make This Wallet Safer?

Written by Frank Hayes
February 16th, 2012
Google Wallet's security problems that surfaced last week—two different ways for a thief who has stolen a phone to get access to payment cards in the digital wallet—prompted Google to block new Google Wallet provisioning for several days until the company pushed out a fix. But the vulnerabilities also highlighted a major pain point: Shifting payments from plastic card to smartphone isn't just about technology, it's also about getting partners to cooperate—in this case, card issuer Citi.

The big problem: The most logical and secure technology fix—moving PINs to secure hardware—is something Citi seems unwilling to do.

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Posted in In-Store, IT Strategy/Industry, Mobile/Wireless/Contactless, Payment Systems, Premium Content, Security/Fraud, Software
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