Ethoca to Sponsor Keynote Speech by Secretary Tom Ridge at March 2009 Merchant Risk Council Conference

Ethoca to Sponsor Keynote Speech by Secretary Tom Ridge at March 2009 Merchant Risk Council Conference

First Secretary of Homeland Security will speak on links between global crime and terrorism, e-commerce fraud, and national cyber and economic security; Focus on need for international collaboration to defeat cybercrime

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) February 3, 2009 -- Ethoca, the company powering the Global Fraud Fighting Community, today announced that the Honorable Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security and a member of the Ethoca Board of Directors, will be the special keynote opening speaker at the Merchant Risk Council's 7th annual e-Commerce Payments and Risk Conference, in Las Vegas on March 11, 2009. Ethoca is the leader in collaborative fraud management and an MRC Signature Sponsor Member.

News facts:

•    Secretary Tom Ridge will speak on the growing cyber security threat and issues that affect both US security, and the US and global economies, to international experts in e-Commerce security, fraud, risk and payments gathered at Wynn Las Vegas.

•    The Honorable Tom Ridge is a former US Congressman and Governor of Pennsylvania, prior to being the first US Secretary of Homeland Security. He is currently the president and CEO of Ridge Global LLC. As the company's chief executive, he leads a team of international experts that help businesses and governments address a range of needs, including risk management and global trade security, strategic business generation, technology integration, event security, crisis management, campus security and other issues that encompass a diverse portfolio.

•    The MRC's annual e-Commerce Payments and Risk Conference is the premier gathering of its type worldwide, and is attended by the global e-commerce leaders. This year's event is the most detailed and comprehensive to date, covering the major themes of: Fighting New Patterns of Fraud and Cybercrime, Emerging Risk Management Trends, and Global Online Payment Strategies.

•    The MRC conference will have more than 40 speakers and panelists, 30 unique sessions and 40 payment and risk industry exhibitors -- all delivering valuable insight and information on the global growth, diversity and risks associated with e-Commerce.

•    MRC members represent the largest and most influential constituency focused exclusively on making e-Commerce more safe and secure. As a Signature Sponsor, and a sponsor of Governor Ridge's address to the annual conference, Ethoca is an active participant in enabling MRC members to be more successful at fighting e-commerce fraud than their non-member peers.

Quotes:

•    "We are very excited to have Ethoca sponsor Tom Ridge's presentation at our Annual Conference," says Tom Donlea, MRC Executive Director. "The issues that retailers face, and the crime groups that target them, are often the same threats that Homeland Security is tracking. Secretary Ridge's insights on the topics of global risk and emerging threats will prove an invaluable asset for the world leaders in e-Commerce who attend this conference."

•    "Secretary Ridge will deliver an important message on cyber threats and security at the MRC Annual Conference," says Andre Edelbrock, Ethoca CEO. "As cybercrime grows increasingly sophisticated, it is rapidly becoming the domain of international organized criminal gangs and is also being used to fund terrorism. Lessons learned by Homeland Security in fighting these same threat sources can prove invaluable to the online merchant community. As the company powering the Global Fraud-Fighting Community, we are very pleased to be able to sponsor this keynote session for the MRC, whose mission is all about online merchants working together to mitigate risk and stay on top of new and growing threats, enabling them to create a safer and more profitable e-commerce environment for all stakeholders."

About Ethoca:

Ethoca is making e-commerce safer and more profitable through technology that enables and empowers the Global Fraud-Fighting Community -- a partnership of e-commerce businesses, law enforcement organizations, fraud solution vendors, credit issuers and payment processors.

By providing a global platform for cross-industry collaboration, Ethoca enables businesses that operate in customer-not-present environments (Internet, phone, fax or mail) to make more informed decisions about their customer transactions, by pooling transaction experience data from the community in a way that is secure, automated, effective and ethical. Community members see reduced fraud, lower fraud-related costs, increased revenue from fewer wrongly rejected orders and improved customer satisfaction rates.

Ethoca™ is a registered trademark of Ethoca Limited. For more information about Ethoca visit www.ethoca.com.

About the MRC Annual Conference:

The Merchant Risk Council's 7th Annual e-Commerce Payments and Risk Conference will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort on March 10-12, 2009. The 7th Annual e-Commerce Payments and Risk Conference unites the world's top Internet merchants, credit card companies, risk management providers, law enforcement agencies and various consultants and educators in discussing how to make shopping on the internet easier, safer and more profitable for all involved.

For more information, please visit the MRC website at www.merchantriskcouncil.org

About the Merchant Risk Council:

The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is a merchant-led trade association focused on electronic commerce risk and payments globally. The MRC leads industry networking, education and advocacy programs to make electronic commerce more efficient, safe and profitable.

Today, with the power of its member-base, the MRC is the leading trade association for managing payments, preventing online fraud and promoting secure e-Commerce. The MRC is dedicated to working with e-Commerce and multi-channel merchants, credit card issuers, credit card companies, alternative payment providers, risk management experts, and law enforcement to make the Internet a safer and more profitable place to do business.

The MRC Board of Directors and Advisors includes: Expedia, Inc., Adobe Systems, Inc., Neiman Marcus Direct, 41st Parameter, Apple, BestBuy.com, Bill Me Later, Blizzard Entertainment, Chase Paymentech, CyberSource Corporation, Dell, Inc., Discover Network, Gap, Inc. Direct, iovation, Microsoft, Trustwave, and Visa, Inc.

The MRC is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

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Contact Information Chris Iafolla

SHIFT Communications

http://www.ethoca.com

6170779-1857