Mitigating the Risk of Formjacking

Formjacking is a cyberattack in which a threat actor injects malicious JavaScript into a website, often one that contains an online payment form. Once the targeted page has been compromised, the added code permits the hacker to collect sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, addresses and phone numbers. Malicious actors can use the stolen data in identity theft schemes, payment card fraud and other scams.

Formjacking attacks can have significant financial consequences, including costly regulatory penalties and expenses related to remediation. Moreover, formjacking attacks can significantly damage an organization’s reputation.

Formjacking is challenging to detect because the malicious code frequently changes, making it difficult for external scanners and firewalls to catch it. Additionally, there are no apparent signs of formjacking, and the intended transaction is unaffected, making it hard to identify and stop the scam. However, businesses can still take several measures to identify potential issues and reduce the risk of formjacking. Consider the following strategies:

• Practise good cyber hygiene. Establishing a content security policy and using firewalls and subresource integrity tags can prevent the injection of malicious data onto business websites and protect data. Additionally, employers must keep software, patches and extensions up to date and educate IT staff on the threats of formjacking.
• Utilize cyber defence techniques. Employers should leverage defensive techniques, such as obfuscating JavaScript, which can make code harder for cyberattackers to understand. Additionally, network segmentation can limit network exposures and malicious actors’ lateral movement capabilities. An intrusion detection and prevention system can also help monitor potential threats and identify cyber intruders.
• Scan and audit website code regularly to check its integrity. Monitoring and analyzing web logs and JavaScript behaviour can help organizations detect malicious activity and examine where a browser is sending data, helping to stop formjacking attacks.
• Implement ongoing cybersecurity measures. Employers should thoroughly test websites before publicly launching and execute penetration testing to discover weaknesses.

Formjacking can significantly impact a business’s finances, operations and reputation, so organizations must take steps to prevent it.

Did you know that 60% of small and medium businesses don’t survive after a cyber attack? Protect your business with Cyber Insurance, call us at 780.424.2727 or click here to get a quote.