IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
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Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#2Magnetic stripes are the most hilarious thing ever, but still work almost everywhere on the globe.
I am amazed that magnetic stripes are still the norm for credit cards in the US. Europe has managed to move all but completely to chip-based cards, but the US hasn't.
Does the cost of fraud due to magnetic stripes outweigh the cost to upgrade the entire US system, or is the market just too fragmented to coordinate such a transition?
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#3Well, clearly this guy's moral compass is a bit out of whack, but the IAmA does offer some fascinating insights into this world...
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#4Most of what he says is obvious stuff and the emphasis he puts on how much he modifies stuff makes me assume he's someone that just runs programs and doesn't have any unique insight, but he does make one interesting point:
> Try to use "Verified-By-Visa" and "Mastercard-Securecode" as rarely as possible. If only your CVV2 code is getting sniffed, you are not liable for any damage, because the code is physicly printed and could have been stolen while you payed with your card at a store. Same applies if someone cloned your CC reading the magnetic stripe or sniffing RFID. Only losing your VBV or MCSC password can cause serious trouble.
Does anyone know if this (using verified-by-visa, mastercard-securecode remove any payment protection if you get key-logged etc) is correct?
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#5I don't understand how these people sleep at night. The whole notion I didn't make the game I just play the ball is just hilarious.
Furthermore those guys don't understand that eventually they're hurting the web. All that will bring stricter legislation and governments will start enforcing rules like IP identification for just about anyone out there.
I can understand organized crime exploiting the cyberspace. But for individuals its just plain stupid.
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#6The fact that this guy even posted an AMA shows that it's either entirely fake (doesn't seem it), or he's way too cocky. I suspect some trouble may be coming his way soon. He seems to think that he's infallible and that he won't catch a charge for running a botnet.
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#7The CVV2 is not recorded in the mag stripe.
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#8Magnetic stripes are the most hilarious thing ever, but still work almost everywhere on the globe. I am amazed that magnetic stripes are still the norm for credit cards in the US. Europe has managed to move all but completely to chip-based cards, but the US hasn't. Does the cost of fraud due to magnetic stripes outweigh the cost to upgrade the entire US system, or is the market just too fragmented to coordinate such…
Credit card fraud is actually a fairly small problem in the US. Wikipedia tells me that the total cost of fraud is 0.07% of the transaction value. And I suspect (without evidence) that the bulk of this is made up of remote purchases, not swiped activity.
Really, the chip things are an example of security theater. Yes, they're more "secure" in the sense of being harder to defeat. No, they're probably not actually worth it in terms of the cost of upgrading all the infrastructure.
A serious upgrade would need to look at things like two factor authentication, c.f. Google Wallet, etc...
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#9WTF
Re: IAmA a malware coder and botnet operator, AMA
#10The CVV2 is not recorded in the mag stripe.
Ooohh.. so that's why those websites ask for it. Learn something new every day :S