Compromise of DFS Services

The ability of an attacker to breach a financial service without being detected.

Affected entity: DFS provider

Risk: Service failure and compromise of DFS services

• Vulnerability: Unauthorized changes to system configuration and log files and data (SD: Data Integrity)

  • Control 11.1: Protect against tampering and limit offline DFS transactions

    a) Protect and monitor DFS application files from tampering and changes using file integrity monitors, e.g., by calculating checksums or validating digital signatures.

    b) By policy, the DFS provider or merchant should limit use of mobile payment solution to authorize transactions offline or store transactions for later transmission.

• Vulnerability: Insufficient user access validation or user input validation (SD: Authentication)

  • Control 11.1: Use strong multi-factor authentication for user and 3rd party provider access to DFS systems, e.g., token or biometrics, the use of multi-factor authentication to verify system users increases non-repudiation of origin

• Vulnerability: Inadequate user access validation or user input validation (SD: Authentication)

  • Control 11.2: Check incoming data against expected values in API related data schema, for USSD, perform XML validation of XML over HTTP requests

  • Control 11.3: Use analytics systems to check user velocity between transactions, transaction time of day access tracking for additional authorization validation checks.

  • Control 11.4: Regardless of the method used for producing receipts (e.g., e-mail, SMS, or attached printer), the method should mask the Primary Account Number (PAN) in support of applicable laws, regulations, and payment-card policies. By policy and practice, the DFS Provider/merchant should not permit the use of non-secure channels such as e-mail and SMS to send PAN or Sensitive authentication data (SAD)