Consider one case Henderson investigated recently. Retail computer networks get exposed to computer viruses all the time. The default password thing is a serious issue. This problem reinforces the conclusion made in a recent Verizon cybersecurity report: that retailers get hacked because they're lazy. "Companies spend more money choosing the color of the point-of-sale than securing it," Henderson said. Trustwave, which helps protect retailers from hackers, said that keeping credit card machines safe is low on a store's list of priorities.
And machine resellers should be helping them do it. Retailers should be securing their own machines. If you buy a home Wi-Fi router, it's up to you to change the default passcode. In any case, the fault lies with retailers and their special vendors. Just in case, though, Verifone said retailers are "strongly advised to change the default password." And nowadays, new Verifone devices come with a password that expires. The company said, until now, it "has not witnessed any attacks on the security of its terminals based on default passwords." A Verifone card reader from 1999.Ī spokesman for Verifone said that a password alone isn't enough to infect machines with malware. But the same issue is present for all major terminal makers, Trustwave said. The vast majority of machines were made by Verifone ( PAY). That includes major clothing and electronics stores, as well as local retail chains. Trustwave examined the credit card terminals at more than 120 retailers nationwide.
"We're making it pretty easy for criminals." "No one is changing the password when they set this up for the first time everybody thinks the security of their point-of-sale is someone else's responsibility," Henderson said. But no one thinks it's their job to update the master code, Henderson told CNNMoney. Device makers sell machines to special distributors. The problem stems from a game of hot potato. Take this CNN quiz - find out what hackers know about you
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