Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, pleaded guilty today to 19 counts of conspiracy, computer fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft relating to hacks into numerous major U.S. retailers including TJX Companies, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority. Gonzalez was indicted in August 2008 in the District of Massachusetts on charges related to these hacks. More than 40 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from major U.S. retailers as a result of the hacking activity.

Gonzalez also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to hacks into the Dave & Buster's restaurant chain, which were the subject of a May 2008 indictment in the Eastern District of New York. The pleas in both cases were entered before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in federal court in Boston. READ MORE »

• Arcot Hosts the Authentication and Compliance Summit at Digital ID World
• CBS News: New Hurdle For Mobile Commerce: Success?
• 5 Ways Banks Are Using Social Media
• Guardian: PayPal baffled by mysterious Skype payments
• The Cheapskate Blog - TIME.com: Deep in Credit Card Debt? Ask and You Might Be Relieved
• CreditCards.com: How cell phone technology is helping combat credit card fraud
• Computerworld: Mobile banking report cards in, some failing
• Mobile Receipt from Mitek Systems Climbs to #1 in the App Store
• New Mercator Advisory Group Report: Consumer Prepaid Cards: Growing Beyond the Retail Core