I am posting this from a fb link I received. I am not saying it is true or false, just posting as info.
If it is true, I wanted to let those who use it be aware of it - just in case - one can never be too careful.
Square Alert! From Guy McDonald of TeaMac
Mark Rosenbaum got this from Guy McDonald of Teamac (who is my carrier
and a friend) He wanted me to get this out to as many artists as I could...
This could put any artist using this device out of business in one
day. MC/VISA will come after them for the money if the card numbers are
stolen from their companies!! I've seen it happen. The product was
only a 1 star device on a 5 star rating system and now this.
You need to share this with every artist you know ASAP.
VeriFone Says Square Card Readers Are Vulnerable
VeriFone CEO Doug Bergeron says the Square mobile credit card reader is
vulnerable to card skimming and has urged Square to recall the devices. He
says Square's readers fail to encrypt cardholder data as a payment card is
swiped through the device, enabling criminals to create applications that
can download card data to a cell phone. "If the industry allows Square and
others to short-circuit security best practices, it will seriously
jeopardize the integrity and security of the payment infrastructure,"
Bergeron warns.
He says VeriFone staffers were able to write an application that could be
used to skim or steal unencrypted data as it is swiped through
the Square reader in less than an hour.
VeriFone also has posted a sample skimming app for download for anyone
who wants to confirm the ease with which card data could be stolen
from the device. Bergeron says a similar app also was sent to Visa,
MasterCard, American Express, and the other card companies.
VeriFone's Paul Rasori says the company decided to publicize its
claims because of the continued growth of free Square card readers in use.
He notes that VeriFone's own mobile card reader encrypts cardholder data at
the instant the card is swiped.
Replies
I know there has been a lot of discussion on here about the Square and wanted to get this out just in case it is true.
Thanks for letting me know that GoPayment is encrypted. That will be a good point to tell my customers. I haven't had a chance to use mine yet. My first shows are March 31 and April 16-17. Going to reactivate my BB Curve so I can use the swiper. My contract is up in June and will be getting a new phone then. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts and how it works. (testimonials you can use)