2. Background
Provides electronic payment process solutions
Global Headquarters is located in Atlanta, GA
Employs nearly 3,800 people
Established in 1967
Became known as Global Payments Inc. in 2000
Processes over 1 billion transactions
Serves over 1 million clients
3. The Crisis
In March 2012, Global Payments reported its
processing system had been illegally accessed
Hackers obtained Track 2 information from 1.5
million accounts in North America
Visa and MasterCard removed Global Payments
from its list of approved processors
Shareholders launched a lawsuit against the
Company
The breach cost the company nearly $85 million
4. Organization’s Response
Informed Visa and MasterCard
Issued press releases
Halted trading
Hosted a conference call to inform stakeholders
about the breach
Created an investigation taskforce
Created a Website
5. The Media and Stakeholder
Response
Media coverage of the crisis was negative
Media criticized Global Payments for its actions and lack
of information
Customers lost faith in the organization
Politicians suggested legislation to improve industry
standards
Bloggers demanded better security practices
Lawsuits were filed
6. Recommendations
Prepare a crisis response plan
Hire a security consultant to examine the state of
the company’s data security system, policies, and
practices
Evaluate legal agreements with all institutions
involved in processing transactions between
merchants and consumers
Implement strategies to engage the media and
its stakeholders
