Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
Debit cards are directly linked our checking accounts, making tasty treats for criminal hackers.
At an ATM or cash register, most debit card users are blissfully unaware of what happens when they swipe their card and enter their pin numbers. A magical mystery place and make us walk with our new purchase, simply by sliding a card and typing a few keys. The money magically disappears from our account and we celebrate by eating the Twinkie we just bought.
Whether you swipe your debit card at an ATM or a store or restaurant, the process is similar. The user swipes the card and type the number of pins. The data 
The convenience of debit cards has led to the worldwide popularity that far exceeds that of handwritten checks, all the way in 3rd world countries.
We have known for some time that low-tech skimming at ATMs and gas pumps was a compromise point. Now, Wired reports that the transaction itself puts your PIN number at risk. University discovered this flaw there for years, but did not think it would be possible to run on the ground. Criminal hackers, however, came with the Holy Grail of hacks, steal large amounts of debit card numbers and pins encrypted and unencrypted. And they understood an average of 
The first signs of PIN alteration were seen when the investigators studied 11 criminal processes that were taken after the TJX data breach. This violation involved 45 million credit and debit cards. The necessary ring PINs crime to turn that data into cash. An investigation into this violation reported that hacks resulted in "more targeted, high tech, complex and intelligent cyber attacks as seen in previous years."
This revelation some say the only cure for this type of hack is a complete redesign of the payment processing system.
The compromise occurs in a device called a hardware security module (HSM), which is on the banking networks. PIN numbers pass through this device on the way to the card issuer. The module is inviolable and provides a secure environment for encryption and decryption of PIN codes and card numbers. Criminal hackers access HSM and encouraging them to provide the decryption of data. They install malware called "memory scrapers" which capture unencrypted data and use the system to store pirated.
The PCI Security Standards Council, a self-regulatory organization which oversees much of what happens regarding the transaction by payment card, said they would begin HSM test. Bob Russo, general manager of the global standards body, said testing board devices would be "to focus specifically on the security properties that are essential to the payment system."
I have no debit card and never and never will be. that is, if my debit card were hacked, that money would come directly from my bank account. An ATM or point of sale transaction compromises often fails to submit hacking evidence. that means I have to go through the arduous process of convincing my bank that it is not I who withdrew thousands of dollars from my account. so if a credit card is compromised, the zero liability guarantee comes into play and I am healed much faster.
your ultimate responsibility here is to check your statements closely and find unauthorized activity. Read your online statements every two weeks rather than relying solely on your monthly paper, and refute unauthorized charges immediately. Consider using a credit card instead of a debit card.
Although this type of fraud is generally out of your control, it is still imperative that you invest in an Internet security software such as McAfee, and consider a protection service against identity theft .
Robert Siciliano, an expert on identity theft, processes transactions by card flawed.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.