Verifone has been granted a US patent for Wireless Tamper Detection, a technology designed to let payment terminals continuously self-monitor for signs of physical tampering.
In a statement, the payments technology company said the patent strengthens its global intellectual property portfolio related to physical security for payment devices.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
Verifone is positioning Wireless Tamper Detection for unattended payment settings, including fuel pumps, self-checkout lanes and outdoor kiosks. The company said these devices can be targeted when criminals attach or insert skimmers to capture card data during legitimate transactions.
According to Verifone, a skimmer inserted into a terminal can change the radio signal environment inside the device. The patented approach is intended to allow the terminal to detect those changes and take action.
The technology works by establishing a baseline of what is “normal” for a device and then identifying deviations, rather than relying on detection of a specific attack type.
Verifone chief information security officer Will Morgan said: “Instead of asking a terminal to detect a specific type of attack, we asked it to autonomously recognise when its own physical environment has changed in a suspect or unnatural way.
“Security is paramount in a payments infrastructure which is why we are constantly innovating new ways to stay ahead of bad actors. A radio can pick up on a change that a person walking by would never see, and it can do that continuously, without any extra parts.”
The capability can be delivered through software, as radio functions are already built into many modern payment terminals, reducing the need for additional hardware or device replacement.
The announcement comes as skimming remains a widely cited issue in payments security.
Verifone also urged merchants to confirm their terminals are running the latest software.
