The payment ecosystem was targeted in 2014 by many different types of attacks, including security and data breaches exploited for the purpose of collecting sensitive information. This is a global threat and no countries can argue to be completely safe. A global security initiative and common rules could have a positive impact and help deter fraudsters. This analysis will answer the following questions for a global audience: Why can cloud-based solutions be seen as an alternative? What is the impact to the other payment initiatives? What are the security risks during a transaction process?