@Moncats 1 November 2022

MITIGATION OF FINANCIAL (ATM) CARD EXPLOITATION: Financial card (ATM CARD) consumers must comprehend how to reduce the level of card exploitation because financial danger actors won't cease to exist. The following highlight some financial card threat mitigation. 1. The card envelope should be thoroughly examined during acquisition, and if tampered with, the card should be returned to the financial institution. Additionally, the customer service person should be strictly monitored when getting the card. Any needless behavior, such as improper phone usage, must be reported to the bank administration. 2. It is a best practice that the first two digits of the card pin shouldn't be connected to any personally identifiable information that is made public, never reuse the PIN after the expiration of the ATM card, and if possible, change the Card pin after 4 months of usage because Dictionary attacks involve the use of a combination of keywords and known details that can be acquired through information gathering, of which social media stand as a good channel. 3. Beware of Skimmers and Shimmers; Skimmers and shimmers are small devices that criminals attach to ATMs, POS, and other places where people swipe credit or debit cards. Skimmers are older than shimmers and likely more common. These devices fit over the actual card reader and function in the same way—gathering information from your card's magnetic stripe when you swipe your card through the reader. However, unlike a legitimate card reader, the skimmer or shimmer funnels your card information to criminals. With this info, those criminals can effectively clone the card they scanned. Simple precautions can go a long way in protecting your card info from both skimmers and shimmers. Some of these precautionary techniques include: i. Maintaining different bank accounts for different purposes. ii. Using USSD for financial transactions. iii. Looking for signs like loose or unsecured card readers, differentlooking card readers, and thicker-than-usual PIN pads can help you identify skimmers in the wild. 4. It is recommended to keep one's card information away from ATM point cameras and take precautions during PIN imputation in order to prevent exposure to the cameras since ATM security cameras are necessary equipment used by banks and other businesses, including restaurants, shops, and other establishments, to monitor activities within the business premises. However, these cameras have also opened up a means for attack; the most highly skilled hackers can break into the bank network to cause havoc and one of them is capturing users’ card details. 5. The importance of preventing zero-day attacks means that financial institutions and businesses should update ATM and point-of-sale machine software regularly to avoid card machines becoming outdated, thereby being vulnerable to exploitation. *Your card, your money.*