NEWSORZO
No Result
View All Result
Sunday, January 24, 2021
  • Home
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Startups
  • News
Subscribe
NEWSORZO
  • Home
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Startups
  • News
No Result
View All Result
NEWSORZO
No Result
View All Result
Home Tech

Boots halts Advantage Card payments

by news orzo
March 10, 2020
in Tech
0
152
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Image copyright Getty Images

Boots has suspended payments using loyalty points in shops and online after attempts to break into customers’ accounts using stolen passwords.

Customers will not be able to use Boots Advantage Card points to pay for products while the issue is dealt with.

Boots said none of its own systems were compromised, but attackers had tried to access accounts using reused passwords from other sites.

It comes days after a similar issue hit 600,000 Tesco Clubcard holders.

A spokeswoman for Boots told the BBC the issue affected less than 1% of the company’s 14.4 million active Advantage Cards – fewer than 150,000 people.

But it could not give an exact number as the company was still dealing with the problem.

No credit card information had been accessed, they said.

Suspending payments using points removed the risk of hackers stealing the points to spend themselves, the spokeswoman said.

Customers can still earn points when making purchases, and Boots hopes to have point payments back up as soon as possible.

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Boots launched its Advantage Card in 1997

“We are writing to customers if we believe that their account has been affected, and if their Boots Advantage Card points have been used fraudulently we will, of course, replace them,” the company said in a statement.

“We would like to reassure our customers that these details were not obtained from Boots,” it added.

The Boots Advantage card lets shoppers collect four points for every £1 spent, and each point is worth a penny. For example, a card with 200 points could be used to pay for an item worth £2.

But the points can also be used when purchasing items online.

  • Tesco issues warning to 600,000 Clubcard holders
  • How do companies use my reward card data?

So-called “password stuffing” happens when an attacker uses a list of compromised usernames and passwords from a previous data breach.

They then try to log in to a different website, hoping for a match.

Because many people use the same email and password combination for several websites, some of the combinations on the compromised list might work.

In Tesco’s case, the supermarket giant told customers it believed that a compromised list of usernames and passwords had been used to try to gain access to its customers’ accounts – and it may have worked in some cases.

It said no financial information was accessed, and it had restricted access to the accounts to prevent fraudulent use.

Jake Moore, cyber-security specialist at internet security firm Eset, said that Boots reminding their customers about the risk was a good move – but that password reuse is a “gigantic problem” in cyber-security.

“These lists of passwords can be easily found on the dark web for very little, or even free,” he said.

“It would be a good idea for people to check they have implemented two factor authentication on each of their accounts as this makes the password stuffing attack that much harder.”

“My further advice is to use a password manager to store your uniquely different passwords robustly online so you don’t have to remember them all.”

Boots said customers could reset their passwords online, and should choose a unique password not used on other sites.

Related Topics

  • Boots UK
  • Cyber-security

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51742079

Tags: bbcnews
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Amazon Seller Certifications Highlight Women and Veteran Owned Small Businesses

February 26, 2020
The Changing Role Of Airports IELTS Reading Answers

The Changing Role Of Airports IELTS Reading Answers

October 4, 2020
Techstars launches a digital space tech accelerator with USAF, the Netherlands and Norway

Teeoh’s avatar social platform aims to beat the odds

January 4, 2020
Best Hand Lettering Quotes For Inspiration

Best Hand Lettering Quotes For Inspiration

October 18, 2020
5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

0
Red Dead Redemption PC is finally fixed, Rockstar promises

Red Dead Redemption PC is finally fixed, Rockstar promises

0
Techstars launches a digital space tech accelerator with USAF, the Netherlands and Norway

Techstars launches a digital space tech accelerator with USAF, the Netherlands and Norway

0
Techstars launches a digital space tech accelerator with USAF, the Netherlands and Norway

Crimson Tiring Redemption 2 PC gets a repair for stuttering – but it no doubt could perchance per chance also approach at a heed

0
5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

January 24, 2021
Beginner’s Guide: How to Track Conversions with the Facebook Pixel

Beginner’s Guide: How to Track Conversions with the Facebook Pixel

January 24, 2021
2020 is NOT a Blip: Marketing Predictions are Anyone’s Guess

2020 is NOT a Blip: Marketing Predictions are Anyone’s Guess

January 23, 2021
How to Generate More Website Traffic with Social Media

How to Generate More Website Traffic with Social Media

January 23, 2021

Recent News

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Marketing Agency in 2021

January 24, 2021
Beginner’s Guide: How to Track Conversions with the Facebook Pixel

Beginner’s Guide: How to Track Conversions with the Facebook Pixel

January 24, 2021

Categories

  • Business
  • News
  • Startups
  • Tech

Site Navigation

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
NEWSORZO

NEWSORZO is online business journal that focuses on providing news related to the business world, startups, economic developments and more.

© 2020 NEWSORZO - Online business journal that focuses on providing news related to the business world, startups, economic developments and more.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Tech
  • News
  • Startups

© 2020 NEWSORZO - Online business journal that focuses on providing news related to the business world, startups, economic developments and more.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In