Explaining PCI Compliant Website Security Scans

Best business practices, especially when it comes to online safety and security, is something all business owners should consider – regardless of the size of their companies or the amount (if any) of online sales.

With an average of 5,000 new vulnerabilities discovered each year, regular or continuous vulnerability scanning is an essential security best practice.Recent studies show that over 70% of security threats are directed at web applications due to the quantity and value of the information they contain, a problem that's particularly acute for online merchants.

PCI stands for the Payment Card Industry. The main credit card companies all got together and organized a Security Standards Council which in turn created a data security standard. They require that all online merchants be compliant with their standards. PCI compliant security scans check to determine whether or not these web applications spoken of earlier have vulnerabilities. It checks for other possible places where clients or websites could be compromised by a virus or hacker.

Trusted website security companies like Trust Guard provide a report after scanning the server or website. The report gives business owners and/or their IT support staff the information they need to repair the vulnerabilities, if any. When businesses scan their site daily, there is a significantly lower chance that hackers or viruses will infiltrate their website and servers.

Every business that accepts and stores credit card data must demonstrate compliance with PCI DSS, but the complexities of securing business networks present considerable challenges, especially for smaller businesses with limited IT resources. However, security scanning packages can be obtained for a reasonable fee. In fact, Scanning companies that offer security seals for scanned businesses to display on their websites will find that sales will increase and conversion rates will improve. This is because online consumer trust scanned sites more than they trust non-scanned sites – as well they should.

The PCI Scan Service requires no hardware or software to be installed and managed. Inserting a small snippet of code on the website page is all that is required to both scan the site and display the trust seal and accompanying certificate. The seal and certificate demonstrates the business’ commitment to keep their site safe for themselves and their customers.

For additional questions about PCI Compliant Website Security Scans, visit Trust Guard today.

Six out of Ten Belgians Faced Online Safety Issues in 2012

According to a research study, only half of the Belgians polled are worried or extremely worried about their online safety. My question is why are only half of them worried?

Cert.be, the Belgium Federal Cyber Emergency Team’s website recently commissioned a study on Internet safety amongst 2,000 Belgian Internet users aged between 16 and 70 years. The results show that 6 out of 10 Belgians had been confronted with online safety issues in 2012.

Cybercrime has been mentioned time and time again in the media in recent months. Typically the reports involve companies or organizations that are targeted by cyber criminals. Why is it that everyday online consumers and small online business owners – although they acknowledge that other individuals and entities just like them have had security breaches – aren’t afraid enough of the threat to start protecting themselves and their websites from hackers and identity thieves?

Interestingly enough, the CERT.be study shows that increasingly, end users are facing various security problems more often than ever. Here’s how the data looks based on the study:

Security and Safety Threat                                        Percent of Users Affected by the Threat      

Viruses or malware that directly harm the computer                            25.72%

Malicious attempts to steal money or information                               18.56%

The sending of unwanted e-mails from one’s own address                 17.16%

Passwords that suddenly stop working                                                 14.03%

Almost half of the Internet users in Belgium (49.15%) are highly to very highly concerned about their online security. A third (34.78%) appear to be neutral, while 16.07% said that they had no anxieties at all. The greatest anxieties relate to Internet banking (where 60.75% are worried) and online shopping (46.17%).

It is no coincidence that these are two activities where money directly changes hands. More than a third of the Belgians immediately become cautious when surfing to unknown sites (35.12%) or when receiving requests for personal information (34.73%). Social networking has a quarter of Belgians concerned, while surfing on a public wireless network seems to cause only 14.98% of Belgians any anxieties.

The concern however is not immediately reflected in behavior, as preventative measures, like online business owners scanning their sites for vulnerabilities, have not increased significantly. For example, 40% of the Belgians researched only change their passwords in case of problems or if they have forgotten their passwords. Twenty-two percent of the participants never change their passwords unless they are required to do so.

Christian Van Heurck, coordinator of CERT.be, states that "Cybercrime is increasingly becoming a reality for end users as well. It's no longer just about viruses and malware, but also increasingly about attempts to steal personal information or to misuse financial accounts. It is true that people are worried, but they often fail to assess the risks correctly, and often do not know how to optimally protect themselves.

“For this reason, we are currently working hard on developing a central website where end users can find objective information concerning Internet threats and will also receive tips on how to better protect themselves. The aforesaid results clearly show that there is need for it. "

Like waiting to brush your teeth until the dentist pulls them out, online consumers and business owners often wait until their identity has been stolen or their website has been hacked before doing anything to remedy the situation.

Prison Personnel Lets Super Hacker Use Their Computer

Guess what happens next. 

Before we tell you, let’s give you a little background. Before he was arrested in 2011, Nicholas Webber described himself as the world's "most wanted cybercriminal." At the tender age of seventeen, he created the site GhostMarket, where he gave tips on harvesting credit card data and writing computer viruses.

But that’s not all; he also provided a clearinghouse for hundreds of thousands of stolen credit cards. Webber used stolen financial data to buy high-end electronics and reserve rooms in luxury hotels, including a penthouse at London's Park Lane Hilton.

This infamous British hacker, who was responsible for as much as $22 million in financial fraud before going to prison,hacked into his its computer system after he was allowed to use a computer while attending an IT class.

Needless to say, Webber didn't need any lessons in information technology. It is a mystery as to why the prison allowed him to take a class and access a computer in the first place. They either didn’t know about his past crimes or didn’t care. Let’s give the prison workers the benefit of the doubt and say that he gained access to the class by bribing another inmate who looked like him and then wore sunglasses and a hoodie to disguise himself. 

Although the incident took place in 2011, it has come to light now because the worker whom the prison blamed for the hack—and who was subsequently fired—is suing his former employer. Michael Fox (wait, is that his real name or is this yet another case of identity theft?) claims he had no idea Webber was a hacker when he allowed him into the class.

Officials continue to assert that Webber did not access private data. But according to The Daily Mail, the hack caused "major panic" at the prison, and issues began happening that had not happened previously.

HM Isis, the brand-new, $150 million facility where Webber is imprisoned, has been "bedeviled" by a series of technological breakdowns, most related to its state-of-the-art biometric system, where prisoners must swipe their fingerprints to move from one section of the prison to another. According to an inspection last January, the system broke down once every day for five days. We're sure Webber had nothing to do with it.

Many online business owners are just as naïve as this prison worker – allowing vulnerabilities to exist on their websites and servers without ever scanning to see what they are so that they can remove them – simply because they erroneously believe that everyone should worry about hackers except them.

Penetration Testing: Stay Protected and Make More Money

Online security is everything and if you are a successful business person, you know just how crucial it is to stay protected online.

Your own personal website must stay secure at all times if you want to increase your profits and make more money online. People trust secure companies. If your company has trusted security scans, website verification, and PCI security logos, then people will trust that your company cares about their online security, and they will make more purchases with you. It might seem far-fetched that just by showing your customers that you care about their online security they will have more trust in your company and buy more products more often from you, but it’s true. One way to keep websites safe and to give peace of mind to online consumers is by “penetration testing” your website.

Penetration Testing is a method of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack from malicious outsiders (who do not have an authorized means of accessing the organization's systems) and spiteful insiders (who have some level of authorized access). “The process involves an active analysis of the system for any potential vulnerabilities that could result from poor or improper system configuration, both known and unknown hardware or software flaws, and operational weaknesses in process or technical countermeasures. This analysis is carried out from the position of a potential attacker and can involve active exploitation of security vulnerabilities.”

Security issues uncovered through the penetration test are presented to the system's owner. Effective penetration tests will couple this information with an accurate assessment of the potential impacts to the organization and outline a range of technical and procedural countermeasures to reduce risks. Penetration testing is what makes sure that you and your consumers and safe and protected online. As you try to avoid computer hackers who are looking to steal your personal information, it is important that you are staying protected by using security scans and trust seals like the secure ones that industry leaders Trust Guard and McAfee offer.

As a consumer, we look online for purchases and companies that offer great things that we need and want. If we are educated and care about our online safety, we also look for is the foundational security of the websites we patronize. If we can see a secure trust seal at the top of the page on a website, we instantly know that our information is being protected. We feel safe and trust the company, I know that I do.

When I see a company that uses trust seals, security scanning, and penetration testing, I feel out of harm's way and because I feel like the company is trustworthy and dependable, I usually buy from them. As business owners build trust, security, and rapport with their customers, they will know that by simply staying protected online, in part by performing penetration testing, they will be able to stay secure and make more money. Money isn’t everything, but knowing that your company can make more money by using security scans, is a great thing to think about.

How to Keep your Computer Safe

In life, sometimes we feel like nothing we try works. Everything around us crumbles and fails, and it seems that the path to success has been boarded up with an iron gate, triple locks and 500 pound chains. Without good online security in our websites, everything around us really will crumble. Online safety is essential to the success of internet business owners. Trust seals, security (or vulnerability) scans, and website protection to secure our online companies from would-be hackers – keeping our customers’ personal identities, bank accounts, and all other information private and safe.

Getting your website protected with more than just an SSL certificate is critical to succeeding online. That’s because the possibility of someone, some group of hackers, or even some nation or terrorists waging “cyber-war” or “cyber-terrorism” grows with each passing day.

In the past decade, hackers have taken down nine of the 14 servers that run the Internet in the USA.  They have penetrated the Pentagon, the Dept. of Defense, the Dept. of Army and who knows what else—and this was 3-4 years ago, in the 2007-2008 time frame.  Now, in 2011, so much of our infrastructure and day-to-day existence is controlled by computers and communicated by networked devices, that a widespread attack would be even more devastating.

Just this week, a Computerworld article reported that 80% of all web browsers in use are vulnerable to attack.  In fact, all of our systems are vulnerable to attack to some degree, including many of our supposedly most secure government systems.  Simply consider the information that WikiLeaks gained access to—and that was allegedly with the help of human intervention, which is often the case with security breaches.

But don’t worry, it is never too late. Professional online security scanning companies like McAfee Secure and Trust Guard are created to fight against computer hackers. Trust Guard, for example, checks for over 43,000 vulnerabilities hackers use to infiltrate websites. If holes in your website are found, they send a report so that the vulnerability can be immediately repaired. You can succeed as an online business owner. Your first step is to stay safe and protected from hackers. 

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Computer Hacker Steals $275,000

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A Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing about $275,000 by hacking into computer networks; his name is Jeremy Parker age 26 and has been hacking computers since he was just twelve years old. He even admitted to hacking into NASA computer networks.

Hackers are never just messing around. They always have a plan and a sure-fire way to steal as much money as they can from companies, and often times customers of companies as well. The most dangerous part is that most people don’t believe or know how much damage a computer hacker can cause to your computer, online systems, and your bank accounts and personal information. This is the summary of how severe the problems are that computer hackers can create, and just part of the damage this one caused.

From a recent article written on the case, Parker admitted that from Dec. 23, 2008 through Oct. 15, 2009, he hacked into the computer network of SWReg Inc., a subsidiary of Eden Prairie-based Digital River.

SWReg pays independent software developers who write code. Royalties owed to those developers are accumulated at SWReg, which can electronically transfer the money to the developer’s bank account. Parker hacked into SWReg’s system, created the money by crediting the SWReg accounts, and then caused that money to be wire transferred to his bank account instead of the accounts of several developers, federal authorities said.

Parker pled guilty to wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison on that charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis. He also faces up to 10 years on a computer hacking charge. His sentencing date has yet to be set.

Parker also admitted that on Sept. 24, 2009, he hacked into two computer servers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The servers supported access to data being sent to Earth from satellites gathering oceanographic data, but didn’t have control over the satellites themselves.

Once the breach of its computer system was discovered, NASA spent approximately $43,000 to repair the damage. About 3,300 users were denied access to the data for a period of time, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Parker was not officially charged in connection with the NASA case, but the U.S. attorneys in Minnesota and Maryland agreed to include the NASA incident in the sentencing hearing.

Computer hackers attack computer systems to try to steal your identity, money, credit history and ruin your computers. Many of them are good at what they do. If you are not protected with online security systems that are specifically created to protect you from hackers, then you are at a much greater risk than you may think. Vulnerability scanning by companies like McAfee or Trust Guard can protect online consumers from crazy computer hackers like Jeremy Parker.