Omner Barajas

The Internet of Things (IoT) is already changing how companies operate at almost every level of their business and in their interactions with clients and personnel. According to Business Insider, there are 1.9 billion interconnected devices today, with an expected 9 billion by 2018. By then, the number of IoT devices in use will surpass the number of smartphones, tablets and PCs combined.

The use of mobile devices is at an all-time high. According to a KPCB report, mobile digital media is now outpacing desktop usage. The report stated that adults with access to digital media use mobile 51 percent of the time compared to 42 percent for desktop usage and 7 percent for all other devices. These statistics are far from shocking. Walk into a bustling restaurant during lunch hour and you will see mobile devices in the hands of businesspeople, students, children, parents and even retirees.

Payment card industry (PCI) compliance has been a major concern for banking and e-commerce users. Providers need to satisfy several requirements to put their systems in an acceptable state to handle regulated data. The requirements and security assessment procedures published in April 2016 within Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 3.2 described several best practices that will become mandatory starting Feb. 1, 2018.