Watch out for E-Skimming Schemes this Holiday Season

by

October 24, 2019

The silly season is almost upon us. Mobs of people will soon line up for the chance to fight each other to the death, all for the season’s hottest item at your local big-box retailer.

We live a charmed life, no?

Okay, okay, I kid. If you’re anything like me the thought of shopping at a physical retail store makes you sick to your stomach. God bless the internet and online shopping, right? You can shop from the comfort of your own home and not worry about being crushed!

Online shopping might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Especially now, hackers are using e-skimming to snoop near online shopping carts to steal credit and debit card information.

The FBI released a statement on Tuesday warning small and medium-sized businesses and government agencies that take credit card payments online to watch out for e-skimming schemes this holiday season.

E-skimming is when cyber criminals inject malicious code onto a website, giving them access to sensitive and valuable PCI information. Hackers can use a variety of tricks to get in, but phishing and going through a trusted third-party vendor seem to be the most popular.

The FBI recommends the following:

  • Update and patch all systems with the latest security software. Anti-virus and anti-malware need to be up-to-date and firewalls strong
  • Change default login credentials on all systems
  • Educate employees about safe cyber practices. Most importantly, do not click on links or unexpected attachments in the message
  • Segregate and segment network systems to limit how easily cybercriminals can move from one system to another

All great advice.

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Carl Keyser is the Content Manager at Integris.

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