Obama improves security for consumer data

American banks and stores may already be planning to tighten your payment security, but the White House wants to give those efforts a boost. President Obama has signed an Executive Order that will require the federal government to both issue more secure chip-and-PIN payment cards and upgrade terminals to match. This isn’t just for protecting day-to-day staff expenses, it also means that pensions, Social Security, and veteran payments should be safer. There should also be fewer risks when you’re buying from federal locations like national parks and the passport office.

President Obama signed an executive order on Friday to strengthen security on federally issued credit cards and government payment systems, part of a push to protect Americans from identity theft and fraud after several large-scale data security breaches this year. “You should be able to buy the things that you need without risking your identity, your credit score or your savings,” Mr. Obama said during an appearance at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before signing the directive. The order requires government agencies and offices to upgrade the technologies they use to protect consumer data. That might mean using payment terminals and cards that have difficult-to-clone microchips and that use personal identification number verification. The government issues credit cards to federal employees to cover work expenses and distributes some federal benefits, like Social Security, pension and veterans’ payments, using debit cards issued to recipients.