Welcome to my corner of cyberspace, eSecurityDiva.com. As an executive in the e-commerce and retail security field, I’ve wanted to host a forum on issues affecting merchants for some time now.

In particular, I believe smaller online and retail businesses – those who process fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions per year or other merchants who process fewer than 1 million per year – are in most need of insight on subjects ranging from marketing and merchandising to credit card security. These businesses are faced with dissimilar challenges than larger ones are, including differentiating themselves in the marketplace and having far fewer resources on hand to secure their Websites and businesses.

As CEO of Atlanta-based ControlScan, smaller e-commerce and retail businesses are my specialty. I hope to provide my insight from years in the technology industry as well as the collective knowledge of eSecurityDiva.com readers for anyone wanting to grow their operations.

But let’s face it – Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance and security aren’t always the most exciting subjects. However, they are crucial if you’re in the e-commerce or retail space. Imagine how your business would be affected if your Website or store was the culprit for a customer getting his or her critical information stolen.

So, I hope to make these subjects interesting – and relevant. From time to time, I’ll publish posts on “PCI for Dummies,” which will have easy-to-understand tips on becoming compliant and staying compliant with complex credit card security rules. I also plan on bringing real-life stories of SMB merchants to you along with a wrap up of industry news.

As a chief executive, my business is a big part of my life. So sometimes I'll write about my experiences. But this blog will not simply be an extension of the PR machine.

I’m the host. But this is your forum. Feel free to provide suggestions for future posts in the “Skribit” section, interact with each other in the “Comments” section, or bookmark the blog on your favorite social site.

‘Til next time,

Joan
The eSecurity Diva