Michael’s arts and crafts retail chain was infiltrated by hackers who got access to the credit card information of 2.6 million customers, an unnatural disaster of epic proportions for the chain. How did this happen and how do we reach 100% prevention?
According to reports, various POS(Point of Sale) systems where infected with a malware virus that collected this information. Much like the Target saga that saw the credit card information of 110 million customers compromised, hackers seem to be aiming for the POS systems of large retail chains making off with more potential money that they could carry in both hands, thanks to technology.
Michael’s says that there were a “limited” amount of frauds reported since the breach, which is alleged to have occurred between end November to mid-December last year.
BlackPOS
According to Krebs on Security, attacks like the one on Target could be as a result of a deviously nifty piece of malware called BlackPOS, a 207 kilobyte file designed to bypass firewall software, selling for around $1,800(basic version) to $2,300 (full version).
Once the web server is broken into, hackers hide a local server in the retail giant’s network, stealing information from infected POS machines.
One of those things…
Instead of giving you the basics of maintaining a proper up-to-date network of antivirus systems, I will instead present you with the truth, which you may already know: This can’t be avoided. Sure, we find out what the new malware is and create an ‘antidote’ for our retail systems, well that’s until the next smart hacker finds another way to break in. So what do we do?
Have some form of acceptance that criminal activities such as these happen and do your best to protect yourself. While your granddad may wave his walking stick furiously in the air alerting us to the dangers of technology, I reckon that if we are grown enough to walk across the street and get hit by a bus, we can accept technology for everything it is, good, and bad.
A more connected age of technology will have its hiccups, much like a new democracy, a new baby in the family or a new shopping mall in your area. We don’t tear shopping malls down because of the robberies and hijackings they attract, do we?