Case Study
Netron Information Technology Partners with HiTRUST to Build a Financial Payment Cloud Platform
Original Article: Business Weekly
Netron Information Technology Partners with HiTRUST to Build a Financial Payment Cloud Platform
Card fraud and scams remain widespread. In 2023, fraud reported by card issuers in Taiwan approached NT$3.3 billion, with over 98% classified as “card-not-present” transactions. How does the financial payment cloud platform, built jointly by Netron Information Technology and HiTRUST, use AI to strengthen online transaction security?
In a vast and high-risk transaction market, financial institutions and e-commerce businesses urgently need secure transaction platforms to protect their brand reputation while delivering fast, stable transactions. HiTRUST has built deep expertise in Taiwan over many years, spanning four core areas: digital finance, information security, e-commerce payments, and AI. Its 3DS Credit Card Security Verification System was the first product in the world to receive EMV international certification, and its one-stop payment integration service, HiTRUSTpay, holds the top market share in Taiwan.
“Our payment systems adopted a cloud-based model early on. That is also what banks expect, since the cloud is more stable, more scalable, and reduces upfront investment,” said Shu-Hua Kuo, Head of Intelligent Product R&D at HiTRUST. Within the seven-layer network architecture, HiTRUST focuses on the upper application layer, while the underlying infrastructure and network layer are now built on a trusted cloud platform on AWS, in partnership with Netron Information Technology.
Moving to the Cloud Is Not a One-Time Migration, It Is Long-Term, First-Response Support
Kuo shared that Netron Information Technology comprehensive, one-stop professional consulting services provided major support to HiTRUST throughout the process.
Netron Information Technology started out in cybersecurity and has since expanded into multi-cloud services. As an AWS-certified Advanced Partner, Netron Information Technology offers complete one-stop consulting from planning and deployment through ongoing operations, along with security certification training and social engineering awareness education. Kuo explained: “Whether it is early-stage planning, deployment, service operations, or backend monitoring, the ability to give us the best support is our most important consideration when choosing a cloud service provider. Having a team that can respond in real time makes a huge difference for us.” HiTRUST had previously worked with other platforms and providers, but found Netron Information Technology support to be stronger overall, particularly its 7×24 operations support delivered by professional engineers. Through a shared LINE group, issues can be discussed in real time, with error screens and related details shared instantly so Netron Information Technology can help resolve problems right away.
“On-premises experience does not translate directly to the cloud. That is an area where you really need to trust the experts. Netron Information Technology also has a close relationship with AWS, and AWS was involved in supporting discussions along the way, which was a big help to us,” Kuo added.
A Complete Cloud Architecture: Security, Stability, Flexibility, and Compliance All Matter
HiTRUST provides secure payment services on a cloud platform certified to PCI DSS standards. Netron Information Technology helped HiTRUST build 5 environments on AWS using a dual-AZ architecture, leveraging AWS Firewall, ELB, EKS, RDS, EC2, S3, and other services to ensure robust security and smooth data flow.
Netron Information Technology CEO Aries Lee explained that beyond security, cloud architecture planning also needs to account for scalability and flexibility, and when it comes to financial-sector security, compliance is equally essential. Card transactions also demand extremely high speed and stability, so every detail, from firewall and load balancer configuration to storage, system settings, default value adjustments, and encryption, needs to be carefully planned and validated before being put into practice. At the same time, Netron Information Technology is also using AI technology to develop a range of automated tools, aimed at enabling proactive monitoring and real-time alerts in the future.
Lee also noted that in hybrid on-premises-cloud or multi-cloud environments, it is especially important to maintain independence and manage dependencies carefully between environments, so that if one side is compromised, the other can continue operating safely and provide backup. “If something goes wrong on-premises, the cloud can take over. That is a detail we paid close attention to right from the planning stage with our clients.”
Veri-id Risk Detection System Adds an Extra Layer of Security to Online Transactions
The Veri-id Risk Detection System, which stood out in the Ministry of Digital Affairs AI Pilot Program and won double championships at the 2023 Digital Sandbox Competition, runs on the cloud platform Netron Information Technology helped build. Today, many e-commerce platforms still allow login with just a username and password, which hackers can exploit. Veri-id uses patented technology to cross-reference account information with over a hundred data points about the device and device environment, using AI to analyze and determine whether a login is genuinely being performed by the account holder. If anomalies are detected, the system can block the attempt or trigger further identity verification, significantly improving transaction security. Basic red flags include an account being used on an unfamiliar device or connecting from a suspicious location. Other signals include unusually fast typing speed or abnormal mouse movement acceleration, which may indicate the login is not being performed by a real person, or cases where the system detects the user simulating different devices while using a different account each time, which could indicate a hacker who has stolen large volumes of user data attempting to profit from it while using emulators to avoid detection. All of these patterns are flagged as anomalies.
Veri-id has already been adopted by a major e-commerce platform in Taiwan. Kuo explained: “As a large e-commerce operator, they have already invested significant resources into security, but they are always looking to improve further. They had been thinking about similar technology, even considering building it in-house, but fortunately HiTRUST had already developed a mature service that could be adopted more flexibly and quickly, so it was a great fit for both sides.”
Veri-FIDO Password-less Authentication: Browsing Securely Without Passwords
HiTRUST recently launched its new Veri-FIDO passwordless authentication service, combining the capabilities of Veri-id with FIDO2 technology. Using a public-private key architecture, it eliminates passwords entirely, replacing them with biometric verification such as fingerprint or facial recognition. Without passwords, there is no need to worry about consumer passwords being intercepted, phished, or stolen, which helps prevent the large-scale losses caused by social engineering attacks in recent years. Veri-FIDO also is not limited to app-based use cases the way earlier FIDO implementations were. It works smoothly on websites too, giving consumers a simpler way to boost transaction security.
HiTRUST Veri-FIDO has also been adopted by major travel platform Cola Tour. This year, Cola Tour has continued investing heavily in building out “Digital Cola,” becoming the first company in the travel industry to adopt FIDO biometric authentication. To encourage travelers to complete setup and enhance security, Kolaworks is also running a promotion through the end of September: users who complete quick login binding will be entered to win a NT$5,000 discount code, offering members a fast and secure digital travel tool. The Kolaworks Platform FIDO2 Security Verification Project was also selected as a verification site for this year Digital Trust Field Service Verification Program by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, contributing to fraud prevention efforts and building a safer, more convenient digital life.
In the Era of Financial Cloud Adoption, Two Security Leaders Join Forces to Strengthen Financial and Transaction Security
HiTRUST and Netron Information Technology work closely together, jointly strengthening financial and transaction security.
(Photo: HiTRUST and Netron Information Technology teams)
“E-commerce security covers a lot of ground. It cannot be solved with a single software or hardware solution alone. HiTRUST and Netron Information Technology complement each other well, one at the upper layer and one at the lower layer,” Kuo said.
Lee added that e-commerce platforms hold large volumes of transaction data, making them prime targets for hackers, especially when open-source code is used during website development, which carries the risk of hidden backdoors being planted. Netron Information Technology supports clients from the earliest stages of website development to achieve comprehensive security aligned with ISO 27001 and PCI DSS certification standards, and also uses AI-powered automation tools to help clients run automated scanning, inspection, and alerting. “Especially with the growing trend toward hybrid and multi-cloud environments, the environments engineers need to manage have become far more complex, raising the risk of oversights. That makes automated processes and tools even more essential for effective control.”
Lee also pointed out that modern website architecture relies heavily on APIs, which makes it harder for a WAF to distinguish between genuine users and bot traffic. In addition, as websites go through redesigns, some APIs may no longer be in use but are never properly decommissioned, creating security gaps. These issues can all be identified through automated scanning and inventory tools. For websites already deployed, automated scanning can also be used as a “health check” to help identify and close security gaps.
As financial cloud adoption continues to grow, HiTRUST and Netron Information Technology are also planning to deepen their collaboration going forward. Kuo noted: “Having cloud experience and the right supporting capabilities is now one of the key advantages in serving financial clients. On top of that, once financial institutions move to the cloud, they no longer need to purchase large amounts of hardware every time they adopt new software services, which makes them far more willing to move forward with new solutions.” In the cloud environment, HiTRUST relies heavily on Netron Information Technology expertise, from overall architecture planning to access management. “We rely a great deal on Netron Information Technology expertise to help financial clients build out a solid cloud framework. They build the ladder from on-premises to the cloud, and our applications just need to ride the elevator up.”
Netron Information Technology began as a cybersecurity services provider and has since grown into a full-service cloud consulting company, offering end-to-end cloud consulting and 24/7 multilingual professional support. Netron Information Technology became an AWS Advanced Partner within just 4 months and holds AWS certifications in MSP, MSSP, Migration, and Generative AI Competency. The company represents over 20 international brands and serves over 2,000 clients with tailored, customized solutions.
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