The Dangers of Autofill: How Scammers Can Use Browsers to Steal Credit Cards

If you’re an avid online shopper, you know the struggle of having to fill out your information each and every time you want to make a purchase. For many, autofill is a way to save time when shopping online. While this feature is convenient, it can also put your data directly into the hands of cybercriminals if a user isn’t careful.

How They Do It

Hackers are able to use autofill to their advantage by adding hidden fields in a sign-up form. These fake sign-up forms try to trick users into giving up more information than they think they are. The form may seem to only ask for a name or email address, but can secretly also take any other information that has been saved in a browser’s autofill. This could include information such as a billing address, phone number, credit card number, security codes, and other sensitive personal data. While this method of attack isn’t necessarily new, whitehat hackers have had trouble finding effective ways to counter the threat.

Prevent an Autofill Attack

Autofill attacks can happen to nearly any user on any browser that has autofill enabled. However, browsers such as Chrome and Safari are particularly prone to these types of attacks, as autofill comes pre-configured when the browser is first downloaded. To avoid these types of attacks, experts suggest using a browser without autofill, such as Firefox. If you want to stick with Chrome or Safari, you may want to consider disabling the autofill feature. If you enjoy the convenience of autofill, make sure you only utilize the feature on sites that have been marked as secure. Otherwise, it’s advised that you take the time to fill in each field by hand to avoid giving information you don’t want to give.

Worried that your sensitive data might be at risk of leaking? Call Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710 today to talk to a security expert about how you can keep your private data safe.