Security of wireless networks often leaves retailers, credit card firms at risk

Richard Rushing has walked the Champs-Elysees in Paris and strolled an underground mall in Seoul. But he's not a shopper. He's a wireless security expert who scans the airwaves in busy retail areas to study how stores are protecting your data.

"Retailers have always taken security very seriously," said Rushing, senior director of information security for mobile devices at Motorola Inc., noting the common use of security cameras and guards.

"But they're not looking at the airwaves to see what's leaking out of their stores wirelessly. You don't need the merchandise if you can steal a credit card number and buy a gift card," Rushing said.

Most consumers don't think about what happens to their credit card information when they swipe their plastic at the cash register. The reality is that large retailers have wireless networks that connect cash registers, bar code scanners and store computers. Those networks can be vulnerable to breaches by hackers or thieves.

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Protecting your data

How do you make sure your information is safe at the time of a transaction? Linda Foley, founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego, offers these tips:

•Choose credit card issuers that have good reputations for protecting customers from fallout.

•Scrutinize monthly card statements.

•Reserve one card for transactions done out of your sight, including at restaurants and when making hotel and airline reservations over the phone. This will make it easier to detect fraud.