Several vulnerabilities across retail checkpoints are frequently accessed by unauthorised parties looking to steal information or payment card details.
There are infiltrations and aggregations where targeted systems are exploited through social engineering techniques.
Data is then moved to another location with the target environment for accretion and then offloaded into an external space accessible by the attacker.Some of the biggest examples of POS security compromises and data breaches are:Target - in 2013, the PII payment card information of at least 70 million customers was stolen.In 2014, a major retailer Home Depo was hit with POS malware.
Around 56 million customers across 2,200 stores, were impacted.Finally, Wendy’s, the famous fast-food chain, was infected with POS malware.
All these companies lost millions in court cases.Therefore, it is now important to pay attention to POS security more than ever.Best PracticesTo avoid POS data breaches, enterprises should prevent malware infections through improved POS security.Data encryption of all POS entries must be carried out, which should be decrypted only when it reaches the payment processor.Application whitelisting should be performed to allow just necessary applications on a POS.Apps that normally add risks, such as email or web browsers must remain blocked to prevent channelized malware infections.Regular software updates will prevent attackers when security patches are implemented as new vulnerabilities are discovered.
Secure the system with patch management.All POS systems’ activity and data must be monitored, to detect any indication of threat or anomalous activity.
