Systems, methods and apparatus for payment terminal management
Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for remote management of payment terminals. Public keys, or other security elements can be received from a certification authority and distributed to the payment terminals. A merchant, or other entity affiliated with the payment terminals, can monitor the status of the software and security elements of the payment terminals.
1 . A method comprising:
tracking, by a terminal management computing system, an expiration date of each of one or more certificates or one or more keys of one or more encryption systems;
selecting, by the terminal management computing system, based on the tracking, a certificate or a key of an encryption system having an expiration date that is closest in time to a current date;
requesting, by the terminal management computing system that is in network communication with a plurality of remote payment terminals via a closed network, an update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system of a remote payment terminal from a vendor global terminal management service via an open network prior to the expiration date of the certificate or the key of the encryption system;
receiving, by the terminal management computing system, the update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service via the open network;
determining, by the terminal management computing system, an encryption technology utilized by the encryption system of the remote payment terminal, wherein the encryption technology includes a static data authentication or a dynamic data authentication; and
transmitting, by the terminal management computing system, the update to the encryption system of the remote payment terminal based on the determined encryption technology via the closed network during a period of reduced payment activity at the remote payment terminal.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote payment terminal is configured with a network address of the terminal management computing system.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the terminal management computing system, the vendor global terminal management service to contact based on the update request.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving, by the terminal management computing system, the update to the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service for encrypting communications generated by the remote payment terminal via the open network, based on requesting the update to the encryption system.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the open network is different than the closed network.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the update to the encryption system is a software update or a software patch.
7 . A terminal management computing system that is in network communication with a plurality of remote payment terminals via a closed network, the terminal management computing system comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
tracking an expiration date of each of one or more certificates or one or more keys of one or more encryption systems;
selecting, based on the tracking, a certificate or a key of an encryption system having an expiration date that is closest in time to a current date;
requesting an update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system of a remote payment terminal from a vendor global terminal management service via an open network prior to the expiration date of the certificate or the key of the encryption system;
receiving the update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service via the open network;
determining an encryption technology utilized by the encryption system of the remote payment terminal, wherein the encryption technology includes a static data authentication or a dynamic data authentication; and
transmitting the update to the encryption system of the remote payment terminal based on the determined encryption technology via the closed network during a period of reduced payment activity at the remote payment terminal.
8 . The terminal management computing system of claim 7 , wherein the remote payment terminal is configured with a network address of the terminal management computing system.
9 . The terminal management computing system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining the vendor global terminal management service to contact based on the update request.
10 . The terminal management computing system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving the update to the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service for encrypting communications generated by the remote payment terminal via the open network, based on requesting the update to the encryption system.
11 . The terminal management computing system of claim 10 , wherein the open network is different than the closed network.
12 . The terminal management computing system of claim 7 , wherein the update to the encryption system is a software update or a software patch.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor that is in network communication with a plurality of remote payment terminals via a closed network, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
tracking an expiration date of each of one or more certificates or one or more keys of one or more encryption systems;
selecting, based on the tracking, a certificate or a key of an encryption system having an expiration date that is closest in time to a current date;
requesting an update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system of a remote payment terminal from a vendor global terminal management service via an open network prior to the expiration date of the certificate or the key of the encryption system;
receiving the update to the certificate or the key of the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service via the open network;
determining an encryption technology utilized by the encryption system of the remote payment terminal, wherein the encryption technology includes a static data authentication or a dynamic data authentication; and
transmitting the update to the encryption system of the remote payment terminal based on the determined encryption technology via the closed network during a period of reduced payment activity at the remote payment terminal.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the remote payment terminal is configured with a network address of a terminal management computing system.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining the vendor global terminal management service to contact based on the update request.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving the update to the encryption system from the vendor global terminal management service for encrypting communications generated by the remote payment terminal via the open network, based on requesting the update to the encryption system.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the open network is different than the closed network.