retail security
Evil Rogue Automated Teller Machines!!!
Happy Thursday Folks,
Today we embark on a new adventure that will hopefully drive home the need to think before you shop. On Monday and Tuesday, I described some of the situations you could be faced with while shopping at bricks and mortar retailers. What I didn’t touch on was the outbreak of credit/debit card ATM skimmers. So, let’s begin!
Here is the set up:
I am a thief. I want to collect as many credit card numbers as possible so that I can rob people of as much money as possible. How do I do this without getting caught? I know, I will set up a standalone ATM in the middle of a crowded mall. Ok, so I will rent a “vendor spot” near the food court, and bring in my big ATM after hours. My machine is large, and I will advertise a $1 use fee. I will set up my laptop to collect all data from the card swipe and PIN pad. The next day, customers who need cash will come to my ATM, swipe their card, type in their PIN, but then the software I installed will say “We’re sorry, this ATM is currently out of funds, please check back at a later time.” At the end of the day, I will go to my ATM, download the day’s take to my thumb drive, go home, and upload all the information to my “Hacker ELITE Underground Black Market” website, and start selling my new found credit/debit card details and PIN codes.
Ok, now that is a very much romanticized version of what happens with this type of scam; however, 34 of these “ATMs” were found in the United States and Europe last year alone. “34, that isn’t very many, what is the real risk?” The authorities believe that as FEW as 400,000 people’s cards were stolen. AS FEW AS! They know this from the video surveillance of the area. So, my point behind the fictitious scenario is that these “ATMs” do exist in the wild, and they will rob you blind if you give them the chance. If you need to get cash, use your bank. Don’t trust the signage on a standalone ATM in a mall. Go to the actual bank and use their ATM. Besides the fact that they are safer than the standalone, they also don’t charge a fee.
Protect your information, protect yourself; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!
Safety While Shopping at Online Retailers
To conclude our discussion of holiday season shopping, we will discuss the fastest growing segment of the American consumer experience… online shopping.
Now, if you have read my previous blogs, you will know what I am about to say… Protect Your Information, Protect Yourself!!! So, over my last 20 blog posts, I have probably touched on securing your information in, well, 20 posts. Folks, your information is your life, and as we move deeper and deeper into the ecommerce age, the more important these tips become. Let me start with saying, never, never, never, follow a link to a shopping site that comes to you in email. You want a new iPad/iPod/iPhone/iWhatever else, then go to your web browser’s address bar, and simply type www.apple.com or if you love the warranty program, www.bestbuy.com. The hottest items on the market right now are also the hook that hackers will use to get you to divulge your information. If you have never heard of the company selling something at a “rock bottom price” then don’t buy from them. I know, you can save $15 by purchasing from them, but that $15 savings could cost you thousands in identity recovery fees. As I mentioned yesterday, shop with a credit card as much as you can. Just make sure you don’t overspend…
Tips for online shopping:
Make sure you are shopping at a secure site. This is evident by seeing “HTTPS” in your address bar when you go to check out.
Shop at known online retailers. People, every major retailer has an online presence, if you want to shop, use these sites.
Again, never click a link from an email. You will be shocked how easy it is to alter a web address in such a way that you will never catch it, and the site will look just like the real deal.
Look for security certificates… These typically look like a shield, stating that the site is a secure retailer. Some vendors to look for (security vendors that is) is verisign, mcafee, etc…
EBay/Pay Pal is a great retailer, and one of the largest online, which means they are often targets for phishing attacks… Please, please, please, don’t fall for the social engineering attacks found in emails. How about this, DON’T Read Emails from retailers during the holidays… ok, I am semi-kidding here. Just be careful.
If a deal sounds too good to be, it is, and you will pay dearly for it.
Shopping online is not unsafe, as long as you cross your T’s and dot your I’s, then you will be fine. Just type the address of the retailer you want to shop from, don’t follow links sent in email, facebook, or any other form of electronic communications.
Protect your information, protect yourself; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!
