The Denver-based Service Systems Associates, a third-partyoperator of concessions and retail services, is investigating adata security breach that took place in gift shops at nine U.S.zoos, including at the Detroit Zoo.

At issue are purchases made at the animal parks between March 23and June 25. Debit and credit card information, including customernames, expiration dates and three-digit CVV security numbers, waspotentially compromised.

The Detroit Zoological Society revealed in a press release thedetection of malware in SSA's software. Upon learning of thebreach, SSA installed a separate credit card processing system atits retail outlets. SSA is working with an independent technologyforensic expert to study the incident and prevent furtherissues.

“We are obviously concerned that the vendor's system wascompromised,” Gerry VanAcker, DZS' chief operating officer, said ina statement. “Transactions made since June 26 are not affected bythe previous breach, and it is safe to use a credit or debit cardat SSA's retail locations.”

Remote access attacks against smaller businesses are a mountingmenace, according to a cybersecurity alert released by theFinancial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center alongwith Visa, the U.S. Secret Service and the Retail CyberIntelligence Sharing Center, which provides threat intelligence forretailers.

Particularly threatening is Backoff, also referred to as ROMmalware, which the Secret Service said infected at least 1,000businesses including Sally Beauty Supply, Staples, Home Depot andWhite Lodging Services.

Backoff malware steals data by “sniffing” the traffic that flows on anetwork and identifies card data passed between point-of-saleterminals. The malware, fine-tuned with upgrades, can encryptconnections between command-and-control servers managed byattackers and infected systems. The changes make the malwaredifficult to detect or eradiate.

“If businesses had properly configured firewalls, Backoff wouldbe blocked before any credit card information is lost,” KevinWatson, CEO for the Houston-based Netsurion, a security companythat protects small business' payments and data, said. “This canhappen to any merchant. It's easy to conclude that their firewallsare either limited in what they could prevent, or are notconfigured properly.”

Watson noted that while investigating the rash of breachescaused by Backoff, the DHS issued a recommendation that includesfirewalls and network segmentation.

Watson offered a few steps retailers, restaurants and otherhospitality businesses can take to secure customer data: Protectincoming Internet traffic, control outbound Internet traffic,protect on-premise Wi-Fi, use two-factor authentication, updateanti-malware software and patch all operating systems as securityenhancements are released.