October is National Cybersecurity Month, so this week’s roundup is bringing you the latest news on security breaches and the role of payments tech in the food industry.
Yahoo says 2013 Hack Hit All 3 Billion User Accounts, Triple Initial Estimates
USA Today | Tue Oct 3, 2017 — Déjà vu is about to hit Yahoo users. In 2013, a hack resulting in massive data theft reportedly impacted 1 billion Yahoo users. As it turns out, Verizon’s $4.5 billion purchase of Yahoo this past June has since revealed that all 3 billion users of Yahoo were actually impacted by the hack, rather than just the initially reported 1 billion users. These new facts cast the 2013 Yahoo hack in the role of largest data breach in history.
2.5 Million More People Potentially Exposed in Equifax Breach
NYT | Mon Oct 2, 2017 — No breaks are coming for Equifax anytime soon. In previous roundups, we have followed the story of the Equifax breach closely as new information became available, and this week is no exception. In addition to the 143 million people already affected by the breach, reports are now indicating that an additional 2.5 million may have also been affected. This brings the total to 145.5 million people affected by the Equifax breach. This news came to light during a forensic review done by Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm hired to investigate the attack (cybersecurity can never sleep!).
Amazon Promised to Make Whole Foods Cheaper. But Now Some Prices are Rising.
Chicago Tribune | Tue Oct 3, 2017 — Promises, promises. 5 weeks ago, Amazon acquired the popular grocery store chain Whole Foods, with the promise to lower the chain’s infamous higher prices that historically earned the enterprise the nickname “Whole Paycheck”. However, after initially offering lower prices and discounts on many items, some of those prices have slowly risen again as time passed. Recent tracking of a cross-section of items at certain locations has revealed that prices have only been lowered 1.2% since Amazon has taken over the chain, and many are not staying that way.
Shake Shack Location in NYC Nixes Human servers, Goes Cashless
Fox News | Tue Oct 3, 2017 — New York City’s newest Shake Shack location is about to embrace a (nearly) machine-only mindset. This month, the Astor Place location of the popular burger chain will be testing out a cashless, machine-based strategy in an attempt to better meet customer needs. Customers will place orders and pay via electronic kiosks.
Despite some concerns that businesses moving towards machines will eliminate jobs for human cashiers, this test will not make that a reality. There will still be staff to guide customers through the new process and ensure a smooth and pleasant customer experience.
Domino’s Has a Big Slice of the Voice Payments Pie Thanks to Amazon’s Alexa
Business Insider | Mon Oct 2, 2017 — Back in July, Domino’s announced the arrival of the voice command order through Amazon’s popular virtual assistant, Alexa. Thanks to her, Domino’s now has a sizeable piece of the voice payments pie to enjoy. With an online Domino’s account, Domino’s customers are able to submit their favorite orders through platforms like Amazon with Alexa or via Facebook Messenger. The rise of voice payments will only continue to benefit Domino’s because of easy integrations and customer demand, considering that the use of voice payments will likely quadruple over the next 5 years.
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