In a non-binding informal survey of family and friends these past two weeks, almost everyone polled reports they are fed up with having to have their bank/credit cards replaced.
Previous soap-box posts from this GSD blog:
Now even more reports are rolling in of these types of PCI hacks. It was bad enough consumers had to be on the constant lookout for malware on their own systems that could steal their account information, then there are the ATM/skimmers we have watch out for, now, even within a merchant’s own POS systems and network these bad-boys lurk.
And even when notified by their own bank, now customers are doubly confused and hesitant if the call is legitimate or another social-engineering-hack-attack playing on the public fears and news reports.
- Phone Phishing, Data Breaches, and Banking Scams - Security Intelligence Blog | Trend Micro
- Did You Receive a Bank of America Fraud Alert? - wafflesatnoon.com
- SCAM ALERT: New Credit Card Scam Moving Across The Country - WJBF-TV
When we got a similar call on the voice-mail last week, Lavie didn’t even bother writing down the call back number left (good girl!). Instead she pulled out our local bank branch contact information and went directly to the source. Yep it was legit -- another merchant we shopped at also got hit in a breach similar to Target’s. Yep, more card replacements on the way; again.
A few simple searches on Google will demonstrate the bank card industry has been wresting with these issues for a long time. Only previously, it seems the scale of the problem had been small enough to fly under the general public consciousness radar. With Target it was so big and touched so many that the barn doors were flung wide open and the cows were in the corn for everyone to see. Now we see shadows behind every merchant’s POS system.
The battle between the fraud perpetrators and the security pros ratchets up a few more notches. It’s the new cold-war baby…oh, wait…I hear that’s starting up again as well. I guess I need to start watching “The Americans” on FX to get prepared again.
For more reads on the topic; both breaches and proposed solutions to get the cows back in the barn…
- Sally Beauty Hit By Credit Card Breach — Krebs on Security
- Thieves Jam Up Smucker’s, Card Processor — Krebs on Security
- Details about Neiman Marcus breach revealed - HelpNet Security
- Fire Sale on Cards Stolen in Target Breach — Krebs on Security
- MasterCard, Visa Form Industry Group To Address Payment Security Issues – Consumerist
- Breach Blind Spot Puts Retailers on Defensive — Krebs on Security
- Card Backlog Extends Pain from Target Breach — Krebs on Security
- It’s Time To Give Up On Swiping Credit Cards – ReadWrite
\sigh\
Claus Valca
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