POS Malware Still Affecting Over 1,000 Businesses, Despite Government Warnings

Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service have released a new advisory to businesses to hopefully remind them of the impact of a nasty piece of Point-of-Sale systems malware that has been detected and inflicts damage.

Once installed, the Backoff Malware creates a remote desktop session that allows cybercriminals to gather customer information including names, addresses, credit card numbers, and more.

The new warning, dated August 22, reminds businesses of the impact and gives examples of why the malware is still very viable. Seven POS system vendors have confirmed that multiple clients have been infected and the Secret Service reports that an estimated 1,000 businesses are currently known to be affected.

Read the full advisory: Backoff Malware: Infection Assessment

The most recent, public report of impact from the malware was from The UPS Store. However, The UPS Store took the warning seriously and went through a serious of responsible steps to eliminate the danger and inform its customers.

The new advisory comes on the heels of additional attempts to circumvent computer security and undermine consumer privacy and protection. Homeland Security is asking that any business that believes it has been affected should contact their local Secret Service office to report it. They also recommend that each business do the right thing, much like The UPS Store did, and take steps to assess the environment.