30 Jan, 2023
Credit Card Skimmer Malware and How it Can Damage Your Website
Credit card skimmer malware is a serious threat to your website and your business. Here are tips to take to make sure you're protected.
As online transactions become more prevalent, so do the methods used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information. One such method is the use of credit card skimmer malware. This type of malware can steal credit card information from unsuspecting website users. It's a massive threat to your website security.
When your site falls prey to an attack of this nature, it has the potential to do more than simply hand over vital customer financial data. Along with compromising your website visitors, it has the ability to erode the trust of your online audience. If they don't feel safe visiting your site, they're less likely to return or want to purchase from you. That's why learning about credit card skimmer malware and how to prevent it from affecting you is so critical to the overall health of your site.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at how credit card skimmer malware can damage your website and what you can do to protect your business.
When your site falls prey to an attack of this nature, it has the potential to do more than simply hand over vital customer financial data. Along with compromising your website visitors, it has the ability to erode the trust of your online audience. If they don't feel safe visiting your site, they're less likely to return or want to purchase from you. That's why learning about credit card skimmer malware and how to prevent it from affecting you is so critical to the overall health of your site.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at how credit card skimmer malware can damage your website and what you can do to protect your business.
Credit Card Skimmer Malware is Difficult to Detect
Credit card skimmer malware operates just like any type of malware - a hacker enters your site through a vector. It could be from a phishing attack or some other security vulnerability.
One of the ways that credit card skimmer malware can infect your website is through the injection of malicious JavaScript code. This code can be disguised as a legitimate part of your website, making it difficult to detect. One of the main challenges of dealing with this software - and why it becomes so problematic for anyone infected - is that it may take some time before you even realize the problem exists.
At first, you'll likely be unable to tell anything is amiss. The injected code is mostly obfuscated when the malicious attacker gets the code onto your site. That gives the hacker a powerful weapon - time. The longer it takes for you to respond to the problem, the more damage the malware can do to your infected site and its visitors.
The skimmer malware typically targets online stores, payment gateways, and other sites that collect sensitive information from users.
Following is an example of CC skimmer executed during the payment processing phase, forwarding CC details to querylib[.]at website where further collected by bad guys.
One of the ways that credit card skimmer malware can infect your website is through the injection of malicious JavaScript code. This code can be disguised as a legitimate part of your website, making it difficult to detect. One of the main challenges of dealing with this software - and why it becomes so problematic for anyone infected - is that it may take some time before you even realize the problem exists.
At first, you'll likely be unable to tell anything is amiss. The injected code is mostly obfuscated when the malicious attacker gets the code onto your site. That gives the hacker a powerful weapon - time. The longer it takes for you to respond to the problem, the more damage the malware can do to your infected site and its visitors.
The skimmer malware typically targets online stores, payment gateways, and other sites that collect sensitive information from users.
Following is an example of CC skimmer executed during the payment processing phase, forwarding CC details to querylib[.]at website where further collected by bad guys.
Your Site May Continue Functioning Normally Post-Infection
You might think that credit card skimmer malware would lead to an immediately evident impact on your site. You'd be incorrect, however, as it can sometimes take time to determine whether a problem exists.
If credit card skimmer malware were to take your site offline immediately, it would be much easier to detect. One of the reasons that this is so dangerous is that it often does not impact website operations. There are no visual effects to your site - it will appear to you as if nothing is wrong. This means your website may continue functioning normally, even as the malware is stealing sensitive information from your users.
This can make detecting the infection difficult and lead to a significant loss of customer trust and revenue. Once your customers are compromised, they'll likely reach out to you once an issue is discovered. This creates a negative feedback loop that your business or site will find difficult to recover from.
If credit card skimmer malware were to take your site offline immediately, it would be much easier to detect. One of the reasons that this is so dangerous is that it often does not impact website operations. There are no visual effects to your site - it will appear to you as if nothing is wrong. This means your website may continue functioning normally, even as the malware is stealing sensitive information from your users.
This can make detecting the infection difficult and lead to a significant loss of customer trust and revenue. Once your customers are compromised, they'll likely reach out to you once an issue is discovered. This creates a negative feedback loop that your business or site will find difficult to recover from.
Eventually, Antivirus Vendors will Detect the Credit Card Skimmer
The good news is that most antivirus vendors will eventually detect the credit card skimmer malware. However, this process can take time. In the meantime, your website may have already been blacklisted by web browsers and computer protection services such as host intrusion protection systems (HIPS).
This blacklisting can be disastrous to your site. This can impact your business, as it can lead to a loss of website traffic and a decline in sales. Cutting your traffic flow can limit your ability to reach your target audience. You won't be able to spread your message to the right people - all because you were unable to take the necessary precautions to prevent a cyber attack.
When a website becomes blacklisted, web browsers and computer protection services will warn users that the site is potentially dangerous. This can lead to a significant loss of trust in your brand and can result in a substantial decline in your bottom line.
The most effective plan is to be proactive to stop this from happening. With the right security posture, bolster your defenses against credit card skimmers and other types of malware.
This blacklisting can be disastrous to your site. This can impact your business, as it can lead to a loss of website traffic and a decline in sales. Cutting your traffic flow can limit your ability to reach your target audience. You won't be able to spread your message to the right people - all because you were unable to take the necessary precautions to prevent a cyber attack.
When a website becomes blacklisted, web browsers and computer protection services will warn users that the site is potentially dangerous. This can lead to a significant loss of trust in your brand and can result in a substantial decline in your bottom line.
The most effective plan is to be proactive to stop this from happening. With the right security posture, bolster your defenses against credit card skimmers and other types of malware.
How to Protect Yourself from Credit Card Skimmer Malware Using Quttera's Threatsign! Platform
To protect your business from credit card skimmer malware, it's essential to use a website security platform featuring a comprehensive suite of security tools. This can include a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and other security features. This can detect threats using external monitoring. The WAF will then block further injections of similar scripts into the website database. It fortifies your defenses, preventing a future attack.
You'll want your approach to involve education and preparation, with information and tools in place to address threats. In addition to using a website security platform, it's also important to keep your website software and plugins up to date. You must ensure that your website is hosted on a secure server. It would help if you also educated your employees about the risks of credit card skimmer malware and how to avoid falling victim to it.
No amount of education will replace having the proper security platform, however. For the platform that answers all your website security needs, look no further than Quttera's Threatsign! This platform can detect and remove malware from your website while also providing ongoing monitoring to ensure that your site remains secure.
Credit card skimmer malware is a serious threat to your website and your business. By understanding how it works and taking steps to protect your site, you can keep your business safe and secure. By keeping your website software and plugins up to date, hosting your website on a secure server, and using a website security platform like Quttera's Threatsign!, you can help to keep your website and your business safe.
Visit our site to find out more about how we can boost your website security.
You'll want your approach to involve education and preparation, with information and tools in place to address threats. In addition to using a website security platform, it's also important to keep your website software and plugins up to date. You must ensure that your website is hosted on a secure server. It would help if you also educated your employees about the risks of credit card skimmer malware and how to avoid falling victim to it.
No amount of education will replace having the proper security platform, however. For the platform that answers all your website security needs, look no further than Quttera's Threatsign! This platform can detect and remove malware from your website while also providing ongoing monitoring to ensure that your site remains secure.
Credit card skimmer malware is a serious threat to your website and your business. By understanding how it works and taking steps to protect your site, you can keep your business safe and secure. By keeping your website software and plugins up to date, hosting your website on a secure server, and using a website security platform like Quttera's Threatsign!, you can help to keep your website and your business safe.
Visit our site to find out more about how we can boost your website security.