• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Services
Tech News, Magazine & Review WordPress Theme 2017
  • Technology
  • Computer & Electronics
  • Automobiles
  • Health & Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
  • Technology
  • Computer & Electronics
  • Automobiles
  • Health & Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
DistantInfo
No Result
View All Result

Home » Technology » Two Security Threats Faced By Point Of Sale Systems

Two Security Threats Faced By Point Of Sale Systems

Jack Rodger by Jack Rodger
July 9, 2021
in Technology
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

There is no doubt that the point of sale system has revolutionized the retail industry. Not only has it helped to greatly increase the efficiency of employees, but it has also allowed merchants to view and analyze virtually all aspects of their business. Today, the point of sale system is a part of just about every retail business that people interact with on a regular basis.

But the point of sale solution, just like anything else, does have a dark side. Malware, designed to infect POS devices and systems and ultimately steal customer data, is infecting systems all over the world. In December 2013, these types of POS infections were on the rise, according to PC World. Authorities identified two types of malware as being at the center of the destruction: Dexter and Project Hook.

How POS Malware Works

The POS System terminals are first infected with the malware via vulnerabilities in the host or the network, such as an open wireless network that includes a point of sale terminal. Then, the Track 1 and Track 2 information, present on the magnetic stripes of debit and credit cards is identified and stolen. PC World says that once obtained, the information is then used by hackers who clone payment cards for sale to others or for their own use.

The second version of Dexter, known as Dexter2 and StarDust, also extracted track data, but was capable of extracting this information from network traffic that occurred internally. In fact, StarDust was a botnet, or a series of computers located in multiple areas, but linked together for the purpose of processing stolen data. But in StarDust’s case, both of the command servers were located in two Russian locations: St. Petersburg and Moscow. This particular version was said to have possibly compromised as many as 20,000 credit cards.

The malware also goes by the name ‘RAM scraper,’ as it goes after the data stored in the RAM of the system. Sophos.com goes into more detail about how this is done. There is a set of security standards used in the payment card industry. This standards set is called PCI-DSS, or the PCI Data Security Standard, which demands and ensures that any sensitive payment data is encrypted during its transmission, receipt and storage.

However, Naked Security says that once this payment data has been received, it must then be processed by the RAM of a POS System. And in order to be processed, the data is decrypted. It is at this point in the process that RAM scrapers strike, harvesting data with regular expression searches, and then sending the stolen information to a rogue callhome server.

Every Business Is Vulnerable

Some of the terms being used to describe these threats have made it seem as though malware attacks on point of sale systems happen only on the systems of major businesses. This has caused many business owners to think they have nothing to fear as far as POS malware is concerned. But this is far from the case. The increased sophistication of these malware programs has mean that hackers are able to expand their reach, creating malicious file names that are hidden in plain sight.

Currently the RAM scrapers that plague the POS world target several industries, including education, healthcare and hotel and tourism. And it comes as no surprise that these industries experience high volumes of transactions involving debit and credit cards.

And hackers are hitting a larger number of small businesses than ever these days, while avoiding large corporations. This may mean several things. A hacker who is just starting out may find there’s less of a chance of getting caught if they choose to infect the POS System of a small business.

Best Practices Are the Best Defense

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, or CERT, suggests that best practices are the best way for business owners to defend their systems from POS network attacks. The usage of strong passwords when installing the software is at the top of the list, along with regular updating of POS software applications. And just like with any computerized system, ensuring a firewall is installed to protect the system from an outside attack is crucial, as is installing anti-virus software.

The accidental exposure of a point of sale solution to the internet can be prevented by restricting that access. And finally, remote access should be disallowed in order to close any unsecured channels. Ensuring that you are always up to date on the required measures can be difficult; that is where point of sale systems from companies such as Shopify can come in handy during times as such, as the software is independently maintained without you having to personally ensure each time an update or additional security layer is required; thereby, ensuring that you are always a step ahead in the game.

However, despite all of the best practices applications, one thing is for certain: the more evolved that technology becomes, the more sophisticated hackers will also need to become in order to overcome new challenges. As long as there is room for credit and debit cards in the retail industry, there will be a temptation to steal that card information from the consumer. And so those in charge of defending their networks will need to ensure they are well prepared to protect them.

Previous Post

App Monetization: 10 Revenue Models for App Developers

Next Post

SB Game Hacker Download APK For Android

Next Post
Download-SB-Game-Hacker-APK-For-Android

SB Game Hacker Download APK For Android

Fix-USB-Device-Not-Recognized-Error-In-Windows

How To Fix USB Device Not Recognized Error In Windows

Most-Ravishing-Game-Website-Designs

5 Most Ravishing Game Website Designs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Result
View All Result

POPULAR POST

  • aa-subway-surfers-hero

    Subway Surfers Unlimited Coins & Keys Hack Download for Android and iPhone / iPad – APK & IPA File

    780 shares
    Share 312 Tweet 195
  • How To Remove Ads In Android Apps And Games

    499 shares
    Share 200 Tweet 125
  • How to Install Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks on Windows PC with VMWare

    484 shares
    Share 194 Tweet 121
  • Playbox Download Free For Android | Play Box HD App

    475 shares
    Share 190 Tweet 119
  • SB Game Hacker Download APK For Android

    393 shares
    Share 157 Tweet 98

Recommended.

ESS ABIMM Login at ess.abimm.com Step By Step

May 28, 2022
windows-7

Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 Search Feature Not Working – How to Fix it?

March 18, 2021

Trending.

Man of the House – Walkthrough and Endings of MC Explained

Man of the House – Walkthrough and Endings of MC Explained

May 28, 2022
moonlighter-items-selling-price-guide

Moonlighter – Guide To Perfect Selling Price For All Items

May 28, 2022

Robuxify.me Get Free Robux Roblox On Rubuxify

May 28, 2022

Droppymods.com Reviews Download App, Safe or Not?

May 28, 2022
aa-subway-surfers-hero

Subway Surfers Unlimited Coins & Keys Hack Download for Android and iPhone / iPad – APK & IPA File

March 22, 2021
DistantInfo

Welcome to DistantInfo! We do our best to provide all sorts of tips and tricks on DistantInfo on whatever topic we find it necessary. The aim is to make this the biggest place on the internet for tips and tricks to everything so that peoples can finish off the tasks easily.

Contact us at: mail@distantinfo.com.

Follow Us

Categories

  • Automobiles
  • Beauty & Personal Care
  • Business & Industries
  • Computer & Electronics
  • Education & Careers
  • Famliy & Relationships
  • Games
  • General
  • Health & Lifestyle
  • Home & Kitchen
  • Internet Marketing
  • Technology
  • Traffic Corner
  • Web Development

Recent Posts

  • Red Sage Location – Red Dead Online
  • Nabi tablet temporary password: Everything you need
  • What does used Com Sec Android daemonapp mean
  • OsuLogin Android: Everything you need to know
  • Rbxsky.com Free Robux Roblox On Rbxsky
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • DMCA Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Services

© 2022 DistantInfo. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Of Contents Without Prior Written Consent Is Strictly Prohibited.

No Result
View All Result
  • Technology
  • Computer & Electronics
  • Automobiles
  • Health & Lifestyle

© 2022 DistantInfo. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Of Contents Without Prior Written Consent Is Strictly Prohibited.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. More information here.OK