What is Jitter?
Jitter serves as an ingenious countermeasure against skimming efforts, a technique where criminals attempt to steal information from the magnetic strip on credit or debit cards during transactions at ATMs or card readers. By introducing anomalies in the card’s motion or speed as it is swiped or drawn into the reader, Jitter disrupts the skimmer’s ability to replicate and misuse the captured data.
Breaking Down Jitter
Card skimming represents a prevalent form of fraud where criminals unlawfully acquire credit or debit card details. Malefactors typically employ devices that clandestinely copy card information as it passes through card readers or ATMs, subsequently exploiting these details for fraudulent transactions.
Jitter technology emerges as a key defense mechanism against illicit card reader operations aimed at intercepting card data. Primarily integrated into machines that autonomously pull in cards for processing, like ATMs, Jitter creates challenges for skimming attempts, unlike card-swiping mechanisms.
The essence of Jitter lies in introducing intermittent pauses during card processing, disrupting the smooth flow that skimming devices necessitate for successful data capture. While manual card insertion methods, common in older ATMs, are less affected by Jitter, modern machines with motorized card readers benefit from this anti-skimming technology.
Although not infallible, Jitter diminishes the efficacy of card skimmers, reducing the likelihood of successful data theft when deployed.
Jitter’s disruptive nature can occasionally impede legitimate card transactions as well, underscoring its dual impact on both skimming devices and authentic card readers.
Jitter’s Efficacy in a Fast-Changing Security Landscape
Despite being a stalwart feature for over a decade, the protective capabilities of Jitter have faced scrutiny over time. BankInfoSecurity, in a 2012 article titled “3 Reasons Skimmers Are Winning,” questioned the enduring efficacy of this technology.
The stop-start motion introduced by Jitter to thwart data copying, while once considered a standard defense measure, has encountered circumvention tactics, according to industry experts.
Jitter, initially embraced in the U.S. market over seven years ago by major ATM manufacturers, remains a primary tool for financial institutions combatting skimming. However, its effectiveness is limited to motorized card readers prevalent in ATMs, thereby posing challenges on manual card insertion systems.