Benny Ling’s Bling

The malware records the magnetic stripe information on the back of a card as well as the PIN (Personal Identification Number), which would potentially allow criminals to clone the card in order to withdraw cash.

The collected card data, which is encrypted using the DES (Data Encryption Standard) algorithm, can be printed out by the ATM’s receipt printer, Trustwave wrote.

The malware is controlled via a GUI that is displayed when a so-called “trigger card” is inserted into the machine by a criminal. The trigger card causes a small window to appear that gives its controller 10 seconds to pick one of 10 command options using the ATM’s keypad.

[...]

A criminal can then view the number of transactions, print card data, reboot the machine and even uninstall the malware. Another menu option appears to allow the ejection of an ATM’s cash cassette.

via Cybercriminals refine data-sniffing software for ATM fraud – Network World.

Whoa. This is BAD.

Seriously, though – DES? Cmon, any first year computing student learns that DES has already been outdated by it’s bigger and badder brother, the Advanced Encryption Standard.

See? I do learn things in Introduction to Systems!

However, the REAL WTF here is why ATMs all over the world are running WINDOWS in the first place. I’m no Apple fanboy (har, har), but even I recognise that Windows isn’t the most hacker-proof OS out there.

One last effort. A slow, but firm, shove of the chips. All in. Palm’s only hope to save a company once synonymous with smart handheld devices: the Pre. Their eyebrow raised, daring you to call. They flip. Full house. Respectable. Decent. Impressive even. But not the highest hand.

[...]

Think of it like this. The software is agile, smart and capable. The hardware, on the other hand, is a liability. If Palm can get someone else to design and build their hardware—someone who has hands and can feel what a phone is like when physically used, that phone might just be one of the best phones on the market.

[...]

I can’t wait to see what Palm gets dealt in their next hand.

via Gizmodo – Palm Pre Review – Palm pre.

Let’s face it, the iPhone and Twitter are the peanut butter and chocolate of the mobile age. They “just work” together.

via @TheiPhoneblog: Now with Mo’ Better Twitter! | The iPhone Blog.

Damn straight.