Obama Campaign Using Mobile Credit Card Readers...But Are They Safe?

According to Politico, campaigners for President Barack Obama's re-election will be ready to take your monetary donation at a moment's notice using credit card readers that attach to smartphones:

Campaign personnel are being issued Square mobile credit card readers, allowing them to process donations with their iPhone or Android phones, a campaign official tells POLITICO. The rollout will happen nationwide, and involve staff at all levels.

Politico reports that this is the first time the technology has been used on the national political scene.

Last year, The Blaze reported that Square, a dongle that attaches to smartphones and some tablets to allow credit card purchases to be taken on the go, could open the door for a new form of credit card theft -- one that doesn't even require a card to swipe. Two hackers from Aperture Labs were able to manipulate the software to accept a stolen credit card number, without having to swipe any magnetic strips, and send money directly into a bank account. When revealing this security issue, the hackers suggested Square begin encrypting data to avoid this problem.

By the way, this past Christmas, the Salvation Army used Square to take donations for its Red Kettle campaign at major cities in the United States.

[H/T Gizmodo]