Apparently just secure isn’t good enough, now there’s 3D Secure! While I was checking out of DealExtreme (was looking for a pouch, but also ended up picking a mushroom plush), I was prompted with the following screen:
Apparently 3-D Secure is a real thing and DealExtreme didn’t just make it up! According to Wikipedia:
3-D Secure is an XML-based protocol used as an added layer of security for online credit and debit card transactions. It was developed by Visa to improve the security of Internet payments and offered to customers as the Verified by Visa service. Services based on the protocol have also been adopted by MasterCard, under the name MasterCard SecureCode, and by JCB International as J/Secure. American Express has added SafeKey to UK and Singapore on 8 November 2010.
[…]
This authentication is based on a three domain model (hence the 3-D in the name). The three domains are:
- Acquirer Domain (the merchant and the bank to which money is being paid).
- Issuer Domain (the bank which issued the card being used).
- Interoperability Domain (the infrastructure provided by the credit card scheme to support the 3-D Secure protocol).