It's one of the world's cold, hard truths: whenever a new technology, process, or practice is created, unscrupulous individuals will always try to find a way to exploit it for their own gain.
Take credit cards for example. Ever since they were invented over half a century ago, thieves have been devising schemes to steal the cards themselves or the information contained on them. Their methods have evolved from lifting carbons and surreptitiously writing down credit card numbers to more sophisticated approaches like phishing, skimming, and hacking into databases.
And soon, criminals may really go high-tech. Because it is now possible to have your credit card numbers stolen through your clothes.
Want to see if you are vulnerable to this kind of theft? Then take out all of your credit cards. If they display one of these symbols, then you are at risk for this type of crime.
Why? Because these credit cards are equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips, which allow them to be scanned using a "contactless" reader. The idea is to enable convenience by eliminating the need to swipe them through a stripe reader or punch the numbers into a terminal.
But RFID technology also allows the information to be recorded digitally -- even when the card is still in your pocket, wallet, or purse. This fact was revealed in late January at the Shmoocon Hacker Conference in Washington, DC (yes, hackers have their own conferences now). In front of a live audience, security consultant Kristin Paget demonstrated how thieves can steal credit card information through clothing without much difficulty.
Here's how Paget pilfered the credit card data of a volunteer.
1. She waved a credit card near an RFID card reader (cost: $50 on eBay).
2. She took the card and swiped it into a card magnetizing device (cost: $300), which affixed the digital data onto a blank card.
3. She took the newly-minted card and swiped it through a Square attachment on her smartphone (cost: about $1) and paid herself $15.
Paget noted that this method can be utilized by thieves even when there is clothing or other material between the RFID reader and the actual card. (Prior to the talk, she proved this by using the scanner to record the information from another person's credit card that was in his wallet in his pants pocket.) As a result, Paget said that criminals could walk through crowded areas and either bump into people or brush by them, and a scanner hidden in their pocket could pick up a credit card's digital information. That data could then be transmitted wirelessly to an accomplice nearby.
So how can you protect yourself against this type of credit card theft?
There are several products on the market today which can block the RFID signal. You can buy a credit card holder or "sleeve" that is made out of aluminum or lightweight steel. Or to save money, Paget says that a makeshift shield made of duct tape and aluminum foil works just as well. She also says that you can "fry" the RFID chip in a credit card by putting it into a microwave oven for three seconds. (But no longer than that - Paget says that the card itself will catch fire after five seconds!)
It's sad to say, but there will always be dishonest people out there who try to steal your credit card data. The best thing you can do is to try and stay one step ahead of the bad guys.
