back to article Smash and grab PoS pwners ready with pre-Xmas malware update

A smash and grab malware gang has updated its FastPoS point of sales hack app to plunder credit cards more efficiently ahead of the festive season. The FastPoS author is known for issuing an annual update to the malware which throws stealth to the wind in favour of quick and noisy raiding. The technique marks FastPoS as …

  1. Your alien overlord - fear me

    Posting credit card info over the internet in plain text? That's plain criminal !!!

  2. Cuddles

    How long exactly?

    "FastPoS was first found in March last year and has since been known for receiving pre-Christmas updates"

    How exactly does "it had an update once" translate to "known for receiving pre-Christmas updates"? It's only been known about for less than two years, so it can't possibly be known for any trend involving years.

    Also, it's fucking October. That is not "pre-Christmas". It's barely even pre-Halloween at this point, and Guy Fawkes isn't even getting a mention yet. Supermarkets may have completely lost their minds, but most things that happen in the significant portion of the year before December do not actually have anything to do with Christmas.

    1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      Re: How long exactly?

      I bough mince pies last week, I needed cheering up.

      1. VinceH
        Coat

        Re: How long exactly?

        I should think you did after buying mince pies!

  3. Al fazed
    Devil

    Edutainment enters computer security bulletins !

    WTF ?

    Are these POS in the UK or simply in the USA where chip n pin are not popular ?

    Are these POS in shops around town in UK now ? Which towns ?

    Are these pwnd POS to be found in small corner shops, or in busy branded retail outlets ?

    Is there a Merry Xmess message displayed on the screen instead of "Please remove your card" ?

    Does the POS malware author announce the latest update as being a "pre-Christmas" special, or did the news ? storie's author make that bit up ?

    This is the second security none news story on this page !

    What is happening to the quality of the stories here ?

    Maybe it's not only the poor old uneducated IT end user that is showing signs of fatigue in keeping up with the bad guys ?

    ALF

  4. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

    This is where I assume my first online fraud victimness will come from.

    Some small business who has got their ever more prevalent card reading gizmo infected with something. No amount of vigilance on my own computers will stop that!

    1. phuzz Silver badge

      In most parts of the world, if a compromised terminal leaks your credit card details, you'll be fully re-reimbursed.

      Not to mention that the manufacturers of the terminals have to deal with the hardcore PCI regulations, which make so much as turning the thing on require forms filled out in triplicate and a full audit.

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