A plastic card stores encrypted information about your bank account and your personal data. In order to use it at their discretion, a criminal does not have to steal your card and extract your PIN code. There are many more ways of theft and, accordingly, ways to protect against them, which we will consider.
Let's start by taking a closer look at what a bank card is in general and how it differs from a regular one, for example, a discount plastic card. Bank payment cards appeared in the 50s of the last century, replacing check books. The first card protection system was to apply an individual number and the owner’s name to it using embossing (thermal relief). In the 70s, magnetic stripe was added (Lo-Co - with low ability to store magnetized information or low coercivity, then Hi-Co - with high coercivity). Since the late 90s, cards began to be equipped with electronic memory chips. These chips simply duplicated information from the magnetic tape, but required entering a PIN code when paying. In 1996, the international standard EMV appeared, describing the principles of conducting transactions with bank cards with a chip, which is now the main working standard. Since 2003, cards have used contactless technology for interaction between a payment terminal and a chip that meets the EMV standard, known, for example, from Mastercard under the PayPass brand.
In addition to the above, there are several more auxiliary graphic methods of protection. This includes the application of holographic logos, unique signature stripes, the application of a certified embossing symbol, and others that use the unique graphic capabilities of modern printing technology. Most or all of these protection technologies can be combined into one card.
It is impossible to make a full-fledged bank card yourself without special equipment. But why do it if, to use it, an attacker only needs to duplicate data from the magnetic stripe, which is not protected in any way? And for payments on the Internet, which are becoming increasingly popular, it is enough to know the data embossed on the front side (card number, expiration date, owner) and the printed CVC code on the back side. They are the ones that criminals are after. There are several most common ways to steal information from cards. To be stolen, the card must be read with a special device. A skimmer (from "skim" - skim the cream) is a special reading device that works as a layer between the card and the ATM. It attaches to the card tray in the ATM and passes cards through itself, reading information from them with a special head. And a shimmer is a small magnetic strip that reads cards. Sometimes the reader is supplemented by a mobile camera that records the PIN entered by the user on the keyboard, or a special overhead keyboard that remembers the entered sequence. After reading, making a duplicate card with a good card printer will not be difficult.
You can hack the security system of the ATM itself and read information from it. There are cases when the client reports the data from the card himself. For example, they may call you, introducing themselves as a bank employee, and ask, under some pretext, to immediately dictate the card number, its expiration date and other data.
One conclusion can be drawn from this - never, under any circumstances, provide your bank card details, be suspicious of ATMs that do not inspire trust. Inspect them carefully to see if there are any suspicious devices or advertising materials on them. Are the ATMs monitored by video cameras? How secure is the location where the ATM is located? Pay attention to whether the ATM is working properly; if it is unstable, then there is a high probability that it has been hacked.
You can read a bank card not only at an ATM. Most often, when paying in stores and restaurants, we forget about safety. We allow our card to be read into any device; moreover, we trust it to strangers. “Charging” a regular store cash register with a skimmer is much easier and safer than an ATM. Instead of a real card, an “almost copy” may be returned and we won’t even notice it. Not even the most cunning criminal will be able to rewrite the card number and remember the PIN code. Most card thefts happen this way. You can only protect yourself by visually checking the card, saving the receipt and carefully entering the PIN code. Although these measures may not be effective.
It is almost impossible to protect yourself from the following method of card theft. These are hacker attacks on systems for storing information about the status of bank cards. If they end in success, then the number of stolen cards can be in the millions. Such attacks are not as rare as they might seem. And the first time the bank asks you to change your card, you must definitely change it.
Even before its introduction, many were wary of the new contactless payment technology. After all, it is possible to carry out a transaction without your knowledge by bringing the terminal to your pocket where the card is. And only restrictions on the maximum payment amount of 1000 rubles at the legislative level now protect users of such cards from major thefts. It is recommended to keep contactless cards in a hard-to-reach place; the terminal operates at a distance of up to 8-10 cm, or put the cards in special cases that block their operation.
The last and most effective way to steal cards is physical violence. Never withdraw money in deserted places or at night. Make sure there are security guards at ATMs.
From the text of this article we can conclude that storing money on a card, although considered safe, does not exclude the possibility of its theft. Protecting our money is not only our concern, it is primarily the bank’s concern. The appearance of a good card cannot be duplicated. Banks block cards on the first suspicion of hacking, and all transactions carried out, if desired by the client, are instantly reported via SMS. Already now, many banks, when paying via the Internet, require entering a one-time password, which is sent to the client’s phone, which virtually eliminates the possibility of unauthorized use of a copied card. Money from cards is stolen not from bank clients, but primarily from the bank itself, so security systems are constantly changing and modernizing. Keeping money has always been the most dangerous occupation, and protecting it has always been the most honorable.
(c) https://card-online.ru/articles
Let's start by taking a closer look at what a bank card is in general and how it differs from a regular one, for example, a discount plastic card. Bank payment cards appeared in the 50s of the last century, replacing check books. The first card protection system was to apply an individual number and the owner’s name to it using embossing (thermal relief). In the 70s, magnetic stripe was added (Lo-Co - with low ability to store magnetized information or low coercivity, then Hi-Co - with high coercivity). Since the late 90s, cards began to be equipped with electronic memory chips. These chips simply duplicated information from the magnetic tape, but required entering a PIN code when paying. In 1996, the international standard EMV appeared, describing the principles of conducting transactions with bank cards with a chip, which is now the main working standard. Since 2003, cards have used contactless technology for interaction between a payment terminal and a chip that meets the EMV standard, known, for example, from Mastercard under the PayPass brand.
In addition to the above, there are several more auxiliary graphic methods of protection. This includes the application of holographic logos, unique signature stripes, the application of a certified embossing symbol, and others that use the unique graphic capabilities of modern printing technology. Most or all of these protection technologies can be combined into one card.
It is impossible to make a full-fledged bank card yourself without special equipment. But why do it if, to use it, an attacker only needs to duplicate data from the magnetic stripe, which is not protected in any way? And for payments on the Internet, which are becoming increasingly popular, it is enough to know the data embossed on the front side (card number, expiration date, owner) and the printed CVC code on the back side. They are the ones that criminals are after. There are several most common ways to steal information from cards. To be stolen, the card must be read with a special device. A skimmer (from "skim" - skim the cream) is a special reading device that works as a layer between the card and the ATM. It attaches to the card tray in the ATM and passes cards through itself, reading information from them with a special head. And a shimmer is a small magnetic strip that reads cards. Sometimes the reader is supplemented by a mobile camera that records the PIN entered by the user on the keyboard, or a special overhead keyboard that remembers the entered sequence. After reading, making a duplicate card with a good card printer will not be difficult.
You can hack the security system of the ATM itself and read information from it. There are cases when the client reports the data from the card himself. For example, they may call you, introducing themselves as a bank employee, and ask, under some pretext, to immediately dictate the card number, its expiration date and other data.
One conclusion can be drawn from this - never, under any circumstances, provide your bank card details, be suspicious of ATMs that do not inspire trust. Inspect them carefully to see if there are any suspicious devices or advertising materials on them. Are the ATMs monitored by video cameras? How secure is the location where the ATM is located? Pay attention to whether the ATM is working properly; if it is unstable, then there is a high probability that it has been hacked.
You can read a bank card not only at an ATM. Most often, when paying in stores and restaurants, we forget about safety. We allow our card to be read into any device; moreover, we trust it to strangers. “Charging” a regular store cash register with a skimmer is much easier and safer than an ATM. Instead of a real card, an “almost copy” may be returned and we won’t even notice it. Not even the most cunning criminal will be able to rewrite the card number and remember the PIN code. Most card thefts happen this way. You can only protect yourself by visually checking the card, saving the receipt and carefully entering the PIN code. Although these measures may not be effective.
It is almost impossible to protect yourself from the following method of card theft. These are hacker attacks on systems for storing information about the status of bank cards. If they end in success, then the number of stolen cards can be in the millions. Such attacks are not as rare as they might seem. And the first time the bank asks you to change your card, you must definitely change it.
Even before its introduction, many were wary of the new contactless payment technology. After all, it is possible to carry out a transaction without your knowledge by bringing the terminal to your pocket where the card is. And only restrictions on the maximum payment amount of 1000 rubles at the legislative level now protect users of such cards from major thefts. It is recommended to keep contactless cards in a hard-to-reach place; the terminal operates at a distance of up to 8-10 cm, or put the cards in special cases that block their operation.
The last and most effective way to steal cards is physical violence. Never withdraw money in deserted places or at night. Make sure there are security guards at ATMs.
From the text of this article we can conclude that storing money on a card, although considered safe, does not exclude the possibility of its theft. Protecting our money is not only our concern, it is primarily the bank’s concern. The appearance of a good card cannot be duplicated. Banks block cards on the first suspicion of hacking, and all transactions carried out, if desired by the client, are instantly reported via SMS. Already now, many banks, when paying via the Internet, require entering a one-time password, which is sent to the client’s phone, which virtually eliminates the possibility of unauthorized use of a copied card. Money from cards is stolen not from bank clients, but primarily from the bank itself, so security systems are constantly changing and modernizing. Keeping money has always been the most dangerous occupation, and protecting it has always been the most honorable.
(c) https://card-online.ru/articles
