Retail Industry Must Design Security Into Customer Data, Says Intel Expert

Retailers must not only design security into their devices but also into consumer data "from initial acceptance, through transit to the data center and while in storage," wrote Michelle Tinsley, Intel director-mobility and payment security, in a Wednesday blog post. As the IoT becomes more prevalent, retailers are collecting more data about their customers to provide personalized services and products, but risks also are prevalent, she said. Tinsley said 13.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2015, citing Javelin Research. "Typically it takes a consumer six months and $4,000 to clear the errors from their credit record," she wrote. One answer, she added, is encrypting the data from source to storage. Tinsley will join Jeff Zubricki, Walmart director-global public policy, to discuss the issue at an Electronics Transactions Association event Thursday.