‘Tis the season where retailers see a much higher volume of sales, both in stores and online. This makes it harder to detect anomalous traffic, and it is impractical to block IP ranges based upon geography, because online sales can be global. Retail staff is motivated and focused upon sales, at the risk of possibly allowing fraudulent transactions or other types of breaches from occurring. Some types of attacks depend upon high-volume activity to succeed. For example, phishing emails that include a fake retail order or delivery confirmation are being sent more frequently at times when consumers are likely to be shopping online. Customer accounts for retailers may be compromised during this period, in the hope that fraudulent orders will get lost in the shuffle.
During a season when both the variety and volume of transactions increase, it can be even more challenging to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks, where criminals bring out the latest techniques and hope to hide in the chaos. Account Take Over (ATO) attacks remain one of the most persistent threats to the RH-ISAC community. Failing to prevent ATO attacks creates risk to customers’ accounts and data privacy, as well as impacting revenue and brand reputation. ATO attacks are becoming increasingly frequent and sophisticated, as criminals adapt methods in attempts to outmaneuver corporate fraud prevention activities. However, there are a few common areas where retail and consumer-facing organizations can focus to good effect. As part of the RH-ISAC’s 2018 Holiday Guidance effort, our Fraud Working Group has outlined six quick wins for detection and prevention of ATO. Use these tips to better protect your organization.
