What is "backoff"

n. (context computing English) The situation where an algorithm or process refrains from taking an action it would otherwise have taken.

Backoff is a kind of malware that targets point of sale systems. It is used by malware authors to steal credit card data from Point of Sales machines at retail stores. The cybercriminals use backoff malware to gather data from credit cards and it is installed via remote desktop type applications where POS systems are configured. It belongs to the POS Malware family as it is known to scrape the memory of POS devices.