--Originally published at Renato Gutiérrez Blog

Have you ever wondered how our bank detects when our card has been cloned?

This is what I experienced the last week, my credit card was cloned and used in an online store that I never bought and never knew about it, immediately my bank contacted me telling me the issue and canceled my card. But how does the thefts cloned my card and used to bought things on a online store, as far as I know at this point, they need to have my credit card number, CVC (three digits at the back), are these are stores un-encrypted on sites that I bought from?

To solve this question, we need to make a little research on how thefts steal the information of ours cards, this is commonly called card fraud. Since we are know all connected thanks to the Internet, we’re all potential targets for fraudsters, but Sanders says that it’s far easier to guard against fraud if we are aware of the different types of scams and know the warning signs to look out for, for example, when we enter to a site, specially when we are buying stuff, it is a must that we check if on the left of the url (top-left corner of our browser) is a green-clock, similar to this:

Regards of the ways / approach that thieves get hold of our card details, here are three basic ways:

1. Get hold of your actual card; either through picking a pocket, distraction thefts or more direct approaches.
2. Is to read your card then either clone it or use the details. Card skimmers – that read and record the data on your card, are most frequently used on cash machines, ofthen accompanied with a camera or someone standing nearby to see your PIN.
3. Is from a
   
   
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--Originally published at TC2027 – Surviving CS

On this post I’m going to focus on free wi-fi because any wireless network that can be accessed by anyone comes with any number of security risks.

The risks

You access a free wi-fi because it comes free, no authentication needed to establish a connection. This makes it desirable for for hackers because they can access any device that is connected to this free network.

One threat is known as the Evil Twin where the hacker position himself between you and the hotspot so instead of talking to the hotspot you create a connection with the hacker. The hacker can now monitor your activity and every bit of data you send is being received by the hacker instead of the hotspot.

Another popular threat is Man in the Middle where the hackers can hijack your connection and then redirect you to webpages that force you to install a software that contains a malware. This webpages are disguised as system updates or pop-ups that tell you that you just won a prize.

The solutions

What is the best way to protect yourself against this type of threats?. Some of this security tips can get you started:

• Don’t use public wi-fi to access financial institutions, shops or other sites ever.
• Implement two-factor authentication in any website that has it or where you have sensitive data, so if your password gets stolen they won’t be able to log in because they need another piece of code to access your data.
• Use a VPN (virtual private network) to encrypt your data and create a network within a network.
• Keep wi-fi off when you don’t need it or turn off the automatic wi-fi connection so your device can’t connect automatically to hotspots.
• Only visit sites that are secure with HTTPS.