Payment Security and PCI DSS
Malicious code injected into a checkout page can copy card details without changing how the page looks. PCI DSS now expects you to manage and monitor every script on your payment pages.
Consumer And Digital
Stay open for business when it matters most.
Retailers, online stores, hotels and travel businesses run on payments, loyalty accounts and customer trust. Attackers time their moves for the moments you can least afford to be offline.
TOP THREATS: RETAIL, E-COMMERCE & HOSPITALITYSector focus
Payment Security and PCI DSSMalicious code injected into a checkout page can copy card details without changing how the page looks.
Credential StuffingAttackers replay passwords leaked from other sites against your customer logins at scale.
Customer DataNames, addresses, order histories and booking details are valuable to fraudsters and protected by data protection law.
Peak Trading ResilienceAn outage during a sale, a holiday weekend or a big event costs far more than at any other time.
The threat picture
Why attackers target retail, e-commerce & hospitality
Every checkout, booking and loyalty login is a chance for fraud. Credential stuffing, malicious scripts on payment pages and attacks on the suppliers behind your stores and websites can all turn a busy week into a crisis.
We help retail and hospitality businesses secure customer accounts and payments, test websites and apps before peak season, and respond quickly when something goes wrong.
Credential Stuffing
Attackers replay passwords leaked from other sites against your customer logins at scale. Successful logins lead to stolen loyalty points, gift card fraud and resold accounts.
Customer Data
Names, addresses, order histories and booking details are valuable to fraudsters and protected by data protection law. A breach brings regulatory, legal and reputational consequences.
Peak Trading Resilience
An outage during a sale, a holiday weekend or a big event costs far more than at any other time. Ransomware and denial of service attacks are often timed for exactly those moments.
Supplier Attacks
Outsourced IT, help desks, payment providers and booking platforms all hold keys to your systems. Social engineering of a supplier's help desk has been used to reach major retailers.
Regulation and standards
The rules you work under
The obligations that shape security in retail, e-commerce & hospitality, and how we help you meet them with evidence rather than paperwork.
PCI DSS v4.0.1
Anyone who stores, processes or transmits card data must meet PCI DSS. Version 4 requirements now in force include keeping an inventory of payment page scripts and detecting unauthorised changes to them.
Official guidanceUK GDPR and the ICO
Retailers and hospitality businesses must secure customer personal data and report qualifying breaches to the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of them.
Official guidanceStrong Customer Authentication
Online card payments in the UK and EU generally need strong customer authentication, which changes how fraud shows up and how checkout journeys must be secured.
Official guidanceIllustrative scenario
The Checkout That Leaked Cards
How a typical attack on retail, e-commerce & hospitality unfolds, step by step. Press play to watch it run.
- 1Supplier first
Attackers compromise a small analytics provider whose script loads on your checkout page.
- 2Silent change
They alter the script so it copies card details as customers type and sends them to a lookalike domain.
- 3Peak timing
The change goes live days before a major sale, when traffic is at its highest.
- 4Where it breaks
Script monitoring flags the unexpected change and the new destination, the script is pulled within the hour, and incident response scopes which transactions were affected.
Where Cybergen breaks the chain
Application testing, payment page script control, managed detection and a rehearsed incident response plan limit the damage to a short window instead of a whole season.
Illustrative example, not a real incident.
How we help
Security that fits how you operate
Sector insights
Latest thinking for retail, e-commerce & hospitality
How Retailers Can Prevent Credential Stuffing Attacks
Learn how to prevent credential stuffing attacks on retail sites with MFA, bot detection and monitoring. Stop account takeover before it hits customer trust.
Read article · 9 min
Why E-commerce Sites Must Prioritise Payment Security
E-commerce payment security protects customers and revenue from card fraud. Learn the common weaknesses, PCI DSS duties and best practice for safe checkout.
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Cyber security in Hotel Management Systems and Guest Data Protection
Hotel cyber security starts with protecting guest data in management systems. Learn the common hospitality cyber threats, UK and EU rules and best practice.
Read article · 9 minOther sectors
Explore more sectors
What is credential stuffing and how do we stop it?
It is the automated reuse of leaked passwords against your logins. Bot detection, rate limiting, breached password checks and multi-factor authentication for higher risk actions all reduce it.
Do PCI DSS rules cover the scripts on our checkout page?
Yes. PCI DSS version 4 requires you to authorise and keep an inventory of payment page scripts and to detect unauthorised changes to those pages.
How should we prepare for peak trading?
Test key systems well before the busy period, agree a change freeze, check your incident response contacts and make sure someone is monitoring around the clock.
Are our suppliers a cyber risk?
Often, yes. Map which suppliers can reach your systems or data, check how they verify people who call their help desks and include security in contracts.
Get in touch
Talk to us about retail, e-commerce & hospitality
Tell us about your organisation, the regulations you work under and what is worrying you most.
Prefer to talk? Call +44 (0) 1865 950 828
Or email [email protected]
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