Technology has made our lives easier, but it's also made data theft easier. A hacker with the right technology can break a typical password protected file in less than 70 seconds. And with identity theft being the fastest growing crime in the country, thieves will continue to innovate as technology evolves.

You only have to read the news to understand the scope of this problem. High-profile data breaches have made merchants aware of the challenges they face with credit card processing. And these breaches are going to stimulate an intense amount of legal review to ensure that merchants are complying with applicable laws.

We believe that the legal and technical complexity of these issues is helping merchants recognize the value of removing sensitive data from the point of sale and removing themselves from harm's way. We also think merchants are realizing that an investment in a technology solution has to consider what the environment will look like in the future, not just what it's like now. Today's breakthrough technology may not address tomorrow's needs.

At Merchant Link, we're at the forefront of technology advancements that remove data from the POS device, taking merchants out of the data security business and giving them a faster path to PCI compliance. We look forward to exploring how our solutions can better prepare your company to face the ever-changing world of payments.