No one likes to compromise over the security of personal credit and debit card details. But unfortunately, Magento websites faced Magento card skimming scam in the past where malicious users started stealing the credit and debit card details by injecting malicious scripts on the website.
Immunity of the website is a prime concern, and this content discusses the problem, Magento card skimming in-depth, and also provides tips to immune the website from this issue. Keep reading further.
Let’s give backdrop information about the Magento platform. Magento is a powerhouse platform that was developed by Varien in 2007. The platform is based on PHP-open-source scripting language. If we trust the Salmon reports, the Magento platform is accountable for nearly 31.4 % of the top 100,000 eCommerce sites. It is an extensive platform that provides the highest amount of flexibility to the developers as well as users. It gives all the nitty-gritty functional features that are necessary for making a fully-fledged eCommerce store.
Don’t you think the platform has a high responsibility to handle the customer data without compromising on a seamless customer experience?
They indeed have robust security features; however, some hackers illegally copied the credit and debit card details with the help of a physical card skimming device by inserting a third party script into the website. The malicious script is so powerful that it can steal critical banking information like customer’s name, card CVV, card number and sell it in the black market.
Recently, hackers deceived users’ information by creating a fake google domain. Innocent users did not doubt the reputable “Google” name in the requests and assumed it to be safe for loading. This phishing activity loaded malicious javascript under the domain name google-analytîcs.com or xn--google-analytics-xpb.com.
This name play game victimized users and fetched sensitive payment information. The malicious scripts look like:
The data was captured by the skimmers using the command, document.getElementsByTagName.
If no developer tool is opened, the data is transmitted to the fake Google domain; however, if the tool is open, it detects the malfunctioning and stops the transmission. The malfunctioning behaviour may differ depending on the browser type you are using. Even a minuscule mistake can turn into a bizarre of the malware is not removed instantly.
So the next important question is how to avoid credit card skimming and protect the Magento website? Keep reading to know the ways by which you can immune your website from hackers.
Table of Contents
Clean it by Preparing SQL Injection Function:
In order to remove the security bug, write the code as below:
If you pass reference value to the “$this” command, the hacker will not be able to have direct access to the backend data. Additionally, by using a pointer, the data abstraction and access is limited to authorised functions only.
Validating the Input Data:
It is imperative that every input value on the Magento website’s pages should be validated before passing it for backend processing. This validation can be done by writing systematic functions and applying appropriate logic. It should be made a compulsion that every website developer needs to write secure codes that have very less chances of being vulnerable.
Update the Security Patches:
As we always say, you need to keep your website up-to-date. All plugins on your Magento store should be updated to the latest version. By updating the security patches, you ensure that no malware attacks happen, and your website remains free from blacklisting.
Perform Security Audit:
Any loophole in the website functioning should be acknowledged as soon as possible. And for acknowledging the same, one needs to perform a thorough security audit of the site and uncover the security and other vulnerabilities. You can take help from this experienced Magento development company and get your website immuned.
Report the Security Discrepancy:
If you find your website being attacked by any sort of malware, or you find any traces of security breaches, reach out to the parties involved in the transaction. The problem should be resolved instantly without letting other parts of the website get affected by the malware.
Be Careful while Opting For a Shared Hosting:
If you plan to go for a shared hosting service for your business, make sure you have purchased plans for backup and security enhancements. It is advisable to have knowledge about which other websites are using the hosting server. Remember, you are keeping your business reputation at stake just for a small amount of money.
Data Encryption:
Data encryption ensures that the website has a strong encryption mechanism which means, it becomes a tough nut for hackers to crack it and stole the personal user data. Data encryption doesn’t allow the hacker to steal the organization’s strategic information. If you find any breaches, you should attend them as soon as possible, or you can also hire a Magento developer to do the job for you.
Fix XSS Attack Paths:
Since Magento uses PHP-based forms, XSS path fixing is not that important. But it is advisable that developers use htmlspecialchars() function in order to prevent $_SERVER[“PHP_SELF”] attacks.
Firewall Installation:
Firewall installation ensures that you have enhanced and advanced website security. You need a firewall that monitors the system 24 *7 and protects the website against any incoming threats. Also, the firewall auto-updates and gets better after each attempted attack. It also offers protection against any vulnerabilities faced by the websites.
Concluding Words:
We know that it becomes a cumbersome task to exploit the Magento platform along with auditing and solving security patches. But, it is the need of the hour to protect your website and keep the organization’s reputation positive in the market. If you wish to save your Magento website from card skimming, check out the remedies that we have mentioned in this write-up. This way, you will end up being protected from card skimming.
