POS: Preventing Malware in Point-of-Sale Systems

In this whitepaper, Alsid looks at the resurgence of point-of-sale (POS) malware and what steps you can take to prevent it from infecting your networks. While organizations should follow regulations to protect credit card transactions, compliance isn’t always enough to safeguard data. Case in point, POS malware exploded in 2019. Restoring infected systems, settling lawsuits, and bandaging up reputational damage carried a hefty price tag. Target spent $18.5 million just in payouts from lawsuits from 47 U.S. states over a data breach of its POS systems. POS malware reaps big rewards for cybercriminals. Hackers can steal funds and sell credit card data on the dark web, inflicting losses for both clients and retailers. POS malware usually aims to steal credit card data, but ransomware can also affect POS systems. Instead of demanding money or cryptocurrency to get your data back, hackers take down POS until a ransom is paid. Being locked out of your POS systems has a devastating impact, and the entire business can grind to a halt.