Mobile point-of-sale (POS) terminals have revolutionized the retail space in many ways, with devices such as Square offering locations like mall kiosks, small coffee shops and roadside stands a handy and cost-effective way to accept credit cards.
Unfortunately, a research document have identified that more than half of leading mobile POS terminals tested for flaws were found vulnerable to some form of cyberattack method, according to research delving into various card readers, including Sum Up, iZettle, PayPal and Square.
The report assessed the security of the communications between the phone used to process a payment using the POS hardware and the payment server and also between the POS terminal and the phone. Additionally, researchers examined the security mechanisms within the mobile POS terminal; the mobile application used with the terminals; and secondary factors which affect security, such as the checks made during enrollment.
