[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63491-63493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25439]



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Vol. 79

Thursday,

No. 205

October 23, 2014

Part II





The President





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Executive Order 13681--Improving the Security of Consumer Financial 
Transactions



Notice of October 21, 2014--Continuation of the National Emergency With 
Respect to the Situation in or in Relation to the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79 , No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 2014 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Executive Order 13681 of October 17, 2014

                
Improving the Security of Consumer Financial 
                Transactions

                Given that identity crimes, including credit, debit, 
                and other payment card fraud, continue to be a risk to 
                U.S. economic activity, and given the economic 
                consequences of data breaches, the United States must 
                take further action to enhance the security of data in 
                the financial marketplace. While the U.S. Government's 
                credit, debit, and other payment card programs already 
                include protections against fraud, the Government must 
                further strengthen the security of consumer data and 
                encourage the adoption of enhanced safeguards 
                nationwide in a manner that protects privacy and 
                confidentiality while maintaining an efficient and 
                innovative financial system.

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to improve the security of 
                consumer financial transactions in both the private and 
                public sectors, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Secure Government Payments. In order to 
                strengthen data security and thereby better protect 
                citizens doing business with the Government, executive 
                departments and agencies (agencies) shall, as soon as 
                possible, transition payment processing terminals and 
                credit, debit, and other payment cards to employ 
                enhanced security features, including chip-and-PIN 
                technology. In determining enhanced security features 
                to employ, agencies shall consider relevant voluntary 
                consensus standards and specifications, as appropriate, 
                consistent with the National Technology Transfer and 
                Advancement Act of 1995 and Office of Management and 
                Budget Circular A-119.

                    (a) The Secretary of the Treasury shall take 
                necessary steps to ensure that payment processing 
                terminals acquired by agencies through the Department 
                of the Treasury or through alternative means authorized 
                by the Department of the Treasury have enhanced 
                security features. No later than January 1, 2015, all 
                new payment processing terminals acquired in these ways 
                shall include hardware necessary to support such 
                enhanced security features. By January 1, 2015, the 
                Department of the Treasury shall develop a plan for 
                agencies to install enabling software that supports 
                enhanced security features.
                    (b) The Administrator of General Services shall 
                take necessary steps to ensure that credit, debit, and 
                other payment cards provided through General Services 
                Administration (GSA) contracts have enhanced security 
                features, and shall begin replacing credit, debit, and 
                other payment cards without enhanced security features 
                no later than January 1, 2015.
                    (c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall take 
                necessary steps to ensure that Direct Express prepaid 
                debit cards for administering Government benefits have 
                enhanced security features, and by January 1, 2015, the 
                Department of the Treasury shall develop a plan for the 
                replacement of Direct Express prepaid debit cards 
                without enhanced security features.
                    (d) By January 1, 2015, other agencies with credit, 
                debit, and other payment card programs shall provide to 
                the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans for 
                ensuring that their credit, debit, and other payment 
                cards have enhanced security features.
                    (e) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                preclude agencies from adopting additional standards or 
                upgrading to more effective technology

[[Page 63492]]

                and standards to improve the security of consumer 
                financial transactions as technologies and threats 
                evolve.

                Sec. 2. Improved Identity Theft Remediation. To reduce 
                the burden on consumers who have been victims of 
                identity theft, including by substantially reducing the 
                amount of time necessary for a consumer to remediate 
                typical incidents:

                    (a) by February 15, 2015, the Attorney General, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                shall issue guidance to promote regular submissions, as 
                appropriate and permitted by law, by Federal law 
                enforcement agencies of compromised credentials to the 
                National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance's 
                Internet Fraud Alert System;
                    (b) the Department of Justice, the Department of 
                Commerce, and the Social Security Administration shall 
                identify all publicly available agency resources for 
                victims of identity theft, and shall provide to the 
                Federal Trade Commission (FTC) information about such 
                resources no later than March 15, 2015, with updates 
                thereafter as necessary. These agencies shall work in 
                consultation with the FTC to streamline these resources 
                and consolidate them wherever possible at the FTC's 
                public Web site, IdentityTheft.gov; and
                    (c) OMB and GSA shall assist the FTC in enhancing 
                the functionality of IdentityTheft.gov, including by 
                coordinating with the credit bureaus to streamline the 
                reporting and remediation process with credit bureaus' 
                systems to the extent feasible, and in making the 
                enhanced site available to the public by May 15, 2015.

                Sec. 3.  Securing Federal Transactions Online. To help 
                ensure that sensitive data are shared only with the 
                appropriate person or people, within 90 days of the 
                date of this order, the National Security Council 
                staff, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and 
                OMB shall present to the President a plan, consistent 
                with the guidance set forth in the 2011 National 
                Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, to 
                ensure that all agencies making personal data 
                accessible to citizens through digital applications 
                require the use of multiple factors of authentication 
                and an effective identity proofing process, as 
                appropriate. Within 18 months of the date of this 
                order, relevant agencies shall complete any required 
                implementation steps set forth in the plan prepared 
                pursuant to this section.

                Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) This order shall be 
                implemented consistent with applicable law and subject 
                to the availability of appropriations.

                    (b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                impair or otherwise affect:

                      (i) the authority granted by law to an executive 
                    department, agency, or the head thereof; or
                      (ii) the functions of the Director of OMB 
                    relating to budgetary, administrative, or 
                    legislative proposals.

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                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    October 17, 2014.

[FR Doc. 2014-25439
Filed 10-22-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F5