Money doesn't literally make the world go round, but it sure is a potent motivator for thieves and less scrupulous hackers. Today's Black Hat Asia 2015 Briefing update highlights three sessions that touch on the financial world, from the fringes of cryptocurrency to the booming business of credit-card fraud.
An ever-growing ledger known as the blockchain tracks every single transaction made with Bitcoins, and the same is true for alternate cryptocurrencies that have adopted Bitcoin-like architectures. These currencies can conceivably extend the blockchain's functionality to store additional data, and according to Christian Karam, that's where we might have a problem. Decentralized Malware on the Blockchain will explore the idea of embedding decentralized chunks of malware in a blockchain. Embedded in this digital purgatory, might the malware live forever? Come hear about Karam's proof-of-concept scenario... and possible solutions.
To hear Jakub Kaluzny and Mateusz Olejarka tell it, online banking applications are particularly exposed to malware attacks. As a result, banks have invested in malware-detection mechanisms that run server-side or via JavaScript. Kaluzny and Olejarka have tested many of these solutions, and unfortunately the news isn't good. Come to Bypassing Malware Detection Mechanisms in Online Banking to learn why even "100% malware-proof solutions" have serious implementation errors. Is there hope, or are the banks in for a rude awakening?
Shifting from theoretical fraud to actual headlines, point-of-sale (POS) malware stole the limelight these past few years, being responsible for some of the largest known breaches. But that's just one piece of the greater credit-card fraud story. In The Underground Ecosystem of Credit Card Frauds you'll learn how the scammers behind these attacks proceed from raw personal details to plastic cards to ill-gotten shopping sprees. Presenter Abhinav Singh has infiltrated deep into their world in an attempt to understand the complete fraud ecosystem... and figure how to snuff it out.
Black Hat Asia 2015 takes place March 24 to 27 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Make sure your credit card's legit and register today!