This Week in Tech: BOCA Edition

TGIF! Cybersecurity and encrypted payment platforms dominated the headlines this week, and our news roundup includes stories about how President Obama and Facebook plan to prevent cyber-hacking, the rise of bitcoin in foreign countries and Google’s alternative to Apple Pay.

Obama Signs Executive Order on Sharing Cybersecurity Threat Information

After all the cybersecurity attacks over the last few months, a silver lining has emerged.

Today, at the White House summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, President Obama signed an executive order insisting companies share information with other companies and the Federal Government to prevent future hacking attacks.

CEOs Skip Cyber-security Summit

Not everyone in tech attended the Cybersecurity Summit today. Prominent tech figures like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer from Yahoo, and Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt all passed on the event even though the decisions made here today will shape the Federal Government and tech companies relationships for year to come. However, Apple’s Tim Cook, Ajay, Banga from MasterCard and many other tech giants choose to attend. Be sure to watch the live event at 4:30 PM ET today for all the latest updates.

Facebook Launches ThreatExchange, an API-Based Platform That Lets Companies Share Security Threat Info

The White House isn’t the only one taking extra security precautions. Facebook revealed ThreatExchange, an API-based platform for companies to warn each other about potential security threats and strengthen their internal defenses. VentureBeat reports that hackers often go after multiple targets so ThreatExchange could be a valuable tool for preventing future cyber attacks before they happen.

Google is Reportedly Testing a Service That Will Let You Pay by Saying Your Initials

Excited about Apple Pay? Google clearly wants in on the mobile payments revolution too. A new service called Plaso lets customers pay by saying their initials at select businesses like Panera and Papa John’s. Business Insider reports that Google wants to use the service to learn more about customer behavior and enhance their ad targeting efforts.

Bitcoin Blazes New Trail in Emerging Markets.

Venture investment in bitcoin continues to rise. TechCrunch shared on Wednesday that foreign countries like Kenya, Uruguay and Panama experienced tremendous growth using bitcoin to overcome challenges with regional payment procedures. For more information on how bitcoin revolutionizes mobile transactions check out the full article by TechCrunch editor Christine Magee.