CISA · Question #305
Which of the following is the BEST recommendation to prevent the skimming of debit or credit card data in point of sale (POS) systems?
The correct answer is C. Chip and PIN. Chip and PIN is the best defense against skimming because the EMV chip generates a unique, one-time cryptographic transaction code for each purchase - even if attackers capture the data, it cannot be replayed to make fraudulent transactions, unlike the static data stored on a mag
Question
Which of the following is the BEST recommendation to prevent the skimming of debit or credit card data in point of sale (POS) systems?
Options
- ABiometric authentication
- BEncryption
- CChip and PIN
- DHashing
How the community answered
(51 responses)- A10% (5)
- B4% (2)
- C84% (43)
- D2% (1)
Explanation
Chip and PIN is the best defense against skimming because the EMV chip generates a unique, one-time cryptographic transaction code for each purchase - even if attackers capture the data, it cannot be replayed to make fraudulent transactions, unlike the static data stored on a magnetic stripe. Encryption (B) protects data in transit or at rest but doesn't prevent a skimmer from capturing the card data before it's encrypted at the terminal. Hashing (D) is a one-way transformation used for data integrity and password storage, not for protecting live transaction data from physical interception. Biometric authentication (A) verifies identity but does nothing to protect the card data itself from being harvested by a rogue device attached to the terminal.
Memory tip: Think "skim the cream off the top of milk" - skimmers sit on the surface (the swipe/magnetic stripe). The chip forces the transaction underground with dynamic codes, so there's nothing useful on the surface to steal.
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