18 October 2014
Executive Order --Improving the Security of Consumer Financial
Transactions
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/17/executive-order-improving-security-consumer-financial-transactions
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 17, 2014
Executive Order --Improving the Security of Consumer Financial Transactions
EXECUTIVE ORDER
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IMPROVING THE SECURITY OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
Given that identity crimes, including credit, debit, and other payment card
fraud, continue to be a risk to U.S. economic activity, and given the economic
consequences of data breaches, the United States must take further action
to enhance the security of data in the financial marketplace. While the U.S.
Government's credit, debit, and other payment card programs already include
protections against fraud, the Government must further strengthen the security
of consumer data and encourage the adoption of enhanced safeguards nationwide
in a manner that protects privacy and confidentiality while maintaining an
efficient and innovative financial system.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States of America, and in order to improve the security of
consumer financial transactions in both the private and public sectors, it
is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Secure Government Payments. In order to strengthen data security
and thereby better protect citizens doing business with the Government, executive
departments and agencies (agencies) shall, as soon as possible, transition
payment processing terminals and credit, debit, and other payment cards to
employ enhanced security features, including chip-and-PIN technology. In
determining enhanced security features to employ, agencies shall consider
relevant voluntary consensus standards and specifications, as appropriate,
consistent with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995
and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119.
(a) The Secretary of the Treasury shall take necessary steps to ensure that
payment processing terminals acquired by agencies through the Department
of the Treasury or through alternative means authorized by the Department
of the Treasury have enhanced security features. No later than January 1,
2015, all new payment processing terminals acquired in these ways shall include
hardware necessary to support such enhanced security features. By January
1, 2015, the Department of the Treasury shall develop a plan for agencies
to install enabling software that supports enhanced security features.
(b) The Administrator of General Services shall take necessary steps to ensure
that credit, debit, and other payment cards provided through General Services
Administration (GSA) contracts have enhanced security features, and shall
begin replacing credit, debit, and other payment cards without enhanced security
features no later than January 1, 2015.
(c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall take necessary steps to ensure that
Direct Express prepaid debit cards for administering Government benefits
have enhanced security features, and by January 1, 2015, the Department of
the Treasury shall develop a plan for the replacement of Direct Express prepaid
debit cards without enhanced security features.
(d) By January 1, 2015, other agencies with credit, debit, and other payment
card programs shall provide to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
plans for ensuring that their credit, debit, and other payment cards have
enhanced security features.
(e) Nothing in this order shall be construed to preclude agencies from adopting
additional standards or upgrading to more effective technology and standards
to improve the security of consumer financial transactions as technologies
and threats evolve.
Sec. 2. Improved Identity Theft Remediation. To reduce the burden on consumers
who have been victims of identity theft, including by substantially reducing
the amount of time necessary for a consumer to remediate typical incidents:
(a) by February 15, 2015, the Attorney General, in coordination with the
Secretary of Homeland Security, shall issue guidance to promote regular
submissions, as appropriate and permitted by law, by Federal law enforcement
agencies of compromised credentials to the National Cyber-Forensics and Training
Alliance's Internet Fraud Alert System;
(b) the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Social
Security Administration shall identify all publicly available agency resources
for victims of identity theft, and shall provide to the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) information about such resources no later than March 15, 2015, with
updates thereafter as necessary. These agencies shall work in consultation
with the FTC to streamline these resources and consolidate them wherever
possible at the FTC's public website, IdentityTheft.gov; and
(c) OMB and GSA shall assist the FTC in enhancing the functionality of
IdentityTheft.gov, including by coordinating with the credit bureaus to
streamline the reporting and remediation process with credit bureaus' systems
to the extent feasible, and in making the enhanced site available to the
public by May 15, 2015.
Sec. 3. Securing Federal Transactions Online. To help ensure that sensitive
data are shared only with the appropriate person or people, within 90 days
of the date of this order, the National Security Council staff, the Office
of Science and Technology Policy, and OMB shall present to the President
a plan, consistent with the guidance set forth in the 2011 National Strategy
for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, to ensure that all agencies making
personal data accessible to citizens through digital applications require
the use of multiple factors of authentication and an effective identity proofing
process, as appropriate. Within 18 months of the date of this order, relevant
agencies shall complete any required implementation steps set forth in the
plan prepared pursuant to this section.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) This order shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the
head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary, administrative,
or legislative proposals.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 17, 2014.
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