The ‘Backoff’ Malware Used in Retail Data Breaches is Spreading

The number of computers in North America infected by the Backoff malware, which is blamed for a string of payment card breaches, has risen sharply, according to research from network security company Damballa. The company detected a 57 percent increase between August and September in devices infected with Backoff, which scrapes a computer's RAM for leftover credit card data after a payment card has been swiped, said Brian Foster, Damballa's chief technology officer. Damballa based its finding on data it collects from its ISP and enterprise customers, who use its traffic analysis products to detect malicious activity.