Hackers Stole Payment Information During Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales

London: During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, hackers targeted more than 4,151 online merchants, stealing payment information and other personal information from customers, according to the National Cyber Security Centre in the United Kingdom.

It alerted 4,151 small business websites whose customers' financial information had been compromised.

"We want small and medium-sized online retailers to know how to prevent their sites being exploited by opportunistic cyber criminals over the peak shopping period," said Sarah Lyons, NCSC deputy director for economy and society.

According to Lyons, "falling victim to cybercrime could leave you and your customers out of pocket and cause reputational damage."

The NCSC discovered that the bulk of the online businesses utilised for skimming had been affected by a known vulnerability in Magento, a prominent e-commerce platform.

"Retailers are urged to ensure that Magento – and any other software they use – is up to date. The NCSC’s website has guidance on running a secure website, including moving businesses from the physical to the digital," according to the UK watchdog.

The NCSC's Active Cyber Defence Programme, which aims to eliminate harmful websites and frauds from the internet before they damage the public, discovered the hacked retail websites.

One of the most important things online shops can do to help avoid payment and personal data theft is to install security patches that prevent cybercriminals from exploiting known vulnerabilities in Magento and other software, according to the UK watchdog.