POS PIN-entry Vulnerabilities

Those of you with PIN-entry devices (PEDs) at your point of sale (POS) should take a look at Visa's POS PIN Entry Device Vulnerabilities white paper out today.

Visa reports on the increasing number of thefts of PEDs from merchant stores. The theft is bad enough, but the devices are being replaced by modified (read "compromised") devices by the bad guys that skim cards and PINs. Replacing a POS PED can happen fast, in less than a minute.

The paper highlights particular devices that are targets. I suggest you check the list and match it against your own POS inventory. You do have a POS terminal inventory, right...!?!

I happened to run across this first-person article last week that shows how simple this fraud can be, and I also saw a second report here with similar info.

So...get your POS terminal inventory and check it against Visa's advisory. Now.