OK, next time I'll use the preview button and realize that I need to set "plain old text" to keep my paragraphs. Aaaaaargh ! And now I have to wait to post the correctly formatted version (stupid me).
I'm French and we have been using a Card/PIN system for years. It mostly goes well. The only problem I'm aware of is someone coming up with a fake card allowing the transaction everytime it is used (a so-called YES-Card). I don't think I've ever seen any PIN fraud around.
I'm not very well versed into Credit Card security, but here's what I remember from some discussion with a friend of mine who works in that area: - Your bank does not know your PIN. It is printed and mailed to yo separately from the card. Noone is suppoised to have access to both at the same time, except yourself when you receive both of them. - The PIN does not actually leave the terminal. The terminal performs some crypto on it, and the card authenticates the terminal. - A terminal is supposed to be tamper-proof, meaning opening it in any way should destroy it. - Your PIN is useless without the card. it is not used for any other purpose than using your card. - Your card is mostly useless without the PIN. No store will be able to use a card without PIN (apart from toll booths, where they use the mag stripe for speed reasons, but the amounts are generally quite low).
This obviously has changed in recent years, due to purchasing over the Internet, where you basically send your credit card number. I personally hate this and try to not use my card like that, even though my bank provides insurance over fraudulent transactions on the Internet.
So, from what I have seen in France, the dangers are: - Giving away your card number AND visual cryptogram (possible use over the Internet) - Letting someone learn or see your PIN, and then getting your card stolen. I hate using my card in any other country or on the Internet because it feels like I'm giving away the keys to my bank account every time I pay something.
In France we basically use only card or cash nowadays, and mostly card because any store will take any kind of card (I hated it in the UK because half the store would not take an "electron card", and I had to go get cash at the nearest ATM and carrying it with me back to the store)
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that the PIN this article is talking about is some kind of "master password" that has some use without the card. If that is the case, then this seems quite stupid to me.
I'm French and we have been using a Card/PIN system for years. It mostly goes well. The only problem I'm aware of is someone coming up with a fake card allowing the transaction everytime it is used (a so-called YES-Card). I don't think I've ever seen any PIN fraud around.
I'm not very well versed into Credit Card security, but here's what I remember from some discussion with a friend of mine who works in that area:
- Your bank does not know your PIN. It is printed and mailed to yo separately from the card. Noone is suppoised to have access to both at the same time, except yourself when you receive both of them.
- The PIN does not actually leave the terminal. The terminal performs some crypto on it, and the card authenticates the terminal.
- A terminal is supposed to be tamper-proof, meaning opening it in any way should destroy it.
- Your PIN is useless without the card. it is not used for any other purpose than using your card.
- Your card is mostly useless without the PIN. No store will be able to use a card without PIN (apart from toll booths, where they use the mag stripe for speed reasons, but the amounts are generally quite low). This obviously has changed in recent years, due to purchasing over the Internet, where you basically send your credit card number. I personally hate this and try to not use my card like that, even though my bank provides insurance over fraudulent transactions on the Internet.
So, from what I have seen in France, the dangers are:
- Giving away your card number AND visual cryptogram (possible use over the Internet)
- Letting someone learn or see your PIN, and then getting your card stolen
I hate using my card in any other country or on the Internet because it feels like I'm giving away the keys to my bank account everytime I pay something. In France we basically use only card or cash nowadays, and mostly card because any store will take any kind of card (I hated it in the UK because half the store would not take an "electron card", and I had to go get cash at the nearest ATM and carrying it with me back to the store)
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that the PIN this article is talking about is some kind of "master password" that has some use without the card. If that is the case, then this seems quite stupid to me.
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OK, next time I'll use the preview button and realize that I need to set "plain old text" to keep my paragraphs. Aaaaaargh ! And now I have to wait to post the correctly formatted version (stupid me).
I'm French and we have been using a Card/PIN system for years.
It mostly goes well. The only problem I'm aware of is someone coming up with a fake card allowing the transaction everytime it is used (a so-called YES-Card). I don't think I've ever seen any PIN fraud around.
I'm not very well versed into Credit Card security, but here's what I remember from some discussion with a friend of mine who works in that area:
- Your bank does not know your PIN. It is printed and mailed to yo separately from the card. Noone is suppoised to have access to both at the same time, except yourself when you receive both of them.
- The PIN does not actually leave the terminal. The terminal performs some crypto on it, and the card authenticates the terminal. - A terminal is supposed to be tamper-proof, meaning opening it in any way should destroy it.
- Your PIN is useless without the card. it is not used for any other purpose than using your card.
- Your card is mostly useless without the PIN. No store will be able to use a card without PIN (apart from toll booths, where they use the mag stripe for speed reasons, but the amounts are generally quite low).
This obviously has changed in recent years, due to purchasing over the Internet, where you basically send your credit card number. I personally hate this and try to not use my card like that, even though my bank provides insurance over fraudulent transactions on the Internet.
So, from what I have seen in France, the dangers are:
- Giving away your card number AND visual cryptogram (possible use over the Internet)
- Letting someone learn or see your PIN, and then getting your card stolen.
I hate using my card in any other country or on the Internet because it feels like I'm giving away the keys to my bank account every time I pay something.
In France we basically use only card or cash nowadays, and mostly card because any store will take any kind of card (I hated it in the UK because half the store would not take an "electron card", and I had to go get cash at the nearest ATM and carrying it with me back to the store)
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that the PIN this article is talking about is some kind of "master password" that has some use without the card. If that is the case, then this seems quite stupid to me.
I'm French and we have been using a Card/PIN system for years. It mostly goes well. The only problem I'm aware of is someone coming up with a fake card allowing the transaction everytime it is used (a so-called YES-Card). I don't think I've ever seen any PIN fraud around. I'm not very well versed into Credit Card security, but here's what I remember from some discussion with a friend of mine who works in that area: - Your bank does not know your PIN. It is printed and mailed to yo separately from the card. Noone is suppoised to have access to both at the same time, except yourself when you receive both of them. - The PIN does not actually leave the terminal. The terminal performs some crypto on it, and the card authenticates the terminal. - A terminal is supposed to be tamper-proof, meaning opening it in any way should destroy it. - Your PIN is useless without the card. it is not used for any other purpose than using your card. - Your card is mostly useless without the PIN. No store will be able to use a card without PIN (apart from toll booths, where they use the mag stripe for speed reasons, but the amounts are generally quite low). This obviously has changed in recent years, due to purchasing over the Internet, where you basically send your credit card number. I personally hate this and try to not use my card like that, even though my bank provides insurance over fraudulent transactions on the Internet. So, from what I have seen in France, the dangers are: - Giving away your card number AND visual cryptogram (possible use over the Internet) - Letting someone learn or see your PIN, and then getting your card stolen I hate using my card in any other country or on the Internet because it feels like I'm giving away the keys to my bank account everytime I pay something. In France we basically use only card or cash nowadays, and mostly card because any store will take any kind of card (I hated it in the UK because half the store would not take an "electron card", and I had to go get cash at the nearest ATM and carrying it with me back to the store) Now, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that the PIN this article is talking about is some kind of "master password" that has some use without the card. If that is the case, then this seems quite stupid to me.