Tag Archive for: atm security tips

5 Ways to Improve ATM Safety

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ATM safety is just as important as monitoring any other area where financial transactions are made or cash is kept. Where there is money, there will be thieves trying to get to it.

You don’t need to abandon your ATM business because of potential risks. It is no more vulnerable than any cash register anywhere. You simply need to remain aware of threats. Just like you know where your purse or wallet is at all times, or monitor your bank statements for unauthorized transactions, or keep your personal vault barricaded and locked, utilize this same diligence to improve ATM safety.

Make sure you take appropriate precautions and don’t cut any corners when it comes to securing your ATM machine. Follow these 5 ATM safety tips to ensure that your assets as well as your customers’ data remain secure.

Common Threats to ATM Safety

ATM safety threats apply to the ATM cash itself as well as to customer card information and account access. ATM attacks can be logical or physical. 

Physical Attacks

Physical attacks include equipment damages in an attempt to access the cash inside. Thieves can go as far as trying to remove or steal the entire machine from a location or even using explosives to breach the chassis, or front, of the machine.

Equipment attacks typically happen after hours when no one is around and pose little threat to customers. However, physical attacks can threaten customer safety in other ways. For example, customers can be robbed after making a withdrawal, or they can be forced to make withdrawals or give up financial information.

Physical attacks can also threaten customers through ATM tampering. Pinhole cameras, fake fronts, skimmers/shimmers, Lebanese loops, and counterfeit PIN pads are all ways thieves can gain access to customer bank cards and PINs and therefore access their accounts and funds.

Logical Attacks

Logical attacks, on the other hand, refer to software hacking. Some attackers attempt to infect ATMs with malware or hack into the ATM’s operating system to gain control over the machine and steal information or cash. This threatens customer data as well as the cash inside the ATM. Some hackers are content with collecting account numbers and PINs while others can cause the ATM to malfunction resulting in the emptying of the vault through seemingly legitimate transactions.

But don’t worry. Independent ATM breaches aren’t that common, especially if you take the right ATM safety precautions. First of all, the more fortified a machine is, the less likely someone is to try to breach it. The more time and effort a breach requires, the more risk that’s involved. Furthermore, experienced thieves know that independent ATM machines don’t hold enough cash to make the effort worth the risk.

5 Ways to Improve ATM Safety

Here are some ways you can improve ATM safety for both your business and your customers:

Utilize Surveillance

First and foremost is to have eyes on the machine at all times. Whether you place your machine in direct eyesight from the register or install security cameras or both, witnesses are sure to deter thieves. Your location may already have security cameras on the premises, or you can install your own fairly cheaply from retailers like Costco or Amazon (we recommend a two-camera system). If you have an outdoor machine, it might be in view of the cameras of neighboring businesses. 

Whatever the situation, it doesn’t hurt to put up a sign that alerts passersby that the machine is under video surveillance. This not only helps deter thieves, but it also makes customers more comfortable using your machine knowing that they are less likely to be approached. And if anything happens, it can be reassuring to know that there will be video evidence.

Some machines come equipped with a camera system as well. A standard feature of Genmega machines, for example, is the GenCam camera system. This allows customers (and criminals) to see themselves on screen. For criminals, this is a huge deterrent. They definitely don’t want their face captured and can see right away that it will be. For customers, they can better monitor their surroundings and protect themselves from “shoulder surfers”, attackers looking over their shoulder to observe their PIN as it’s entered.

Light ATM Area

Another simple way to improve ATM safety, deter crime, and increase customer comfortability is to make sure the ATM area is well-lit. The more attention your machine receives, the better. You don’t want users or thieves to feel obscured from the public eye. This can deter customers and embolden criminals.

You want the machine to be secured and barricaded, but not hidden. There is a fine line between securing and obscuring your machine. 

Secure Machine

To prevent some physical attacks, it’s important to make sure that your machine is secured. The harder it is to get to or move, the longer an attack will take, and the more risk that’s involved for thieves. Thieves looking for easy targets will likely move on if they see that your machine is properly secured.

This is why it is of the utmost importance that you bolt your machine to the ground. While some location owners might have some initial reservations about this, it only takes a couple of minutes to explain how important it is. Most machines don’t weigh too much more than a full-grown man, so if it isn’t bolted to the floor, it really won’t take much to jostle or remove the machine completely. 

Make sure that the machine is bolted to level ground so that no crowbars or other tools can be wedged between the machine and the floor. And after installing the machine, shove it on all sides to ensure that it doesn’t budge. Place the machine away from doors and windows if possible to prevent easy access to it after business hours.

You can further improve ATM safety by barricading the sides with other furniture that create even more obstacles to accessing the equipment. This is especially important in protecting your machine from logical attacks. You don’t want hackers to be able to access the mainboard and other internal electronics to manipulate the software or hardware. 

Inspect Machine

You want to regularly inspect your machine to identify any signs of tampering. When you vault and/or when cleaning your machine, run your hand over all surfaces feeling for any loose or bulky areas or anything that doesn’t feel normal. Fake fronts, Lebanese loops, and counterfeit PIN pads might not be recognizable to the untrained eye, but if you check your machine regularly, these modifications will become obvious. You might have to look a little harder to spot a pinhole camera, but if you know what you are looking for, it should only take a second each time you visit the machine.

Keep an Irregular Vaulting Schedule

Keeping an irregular vaulting schedule can improve your safety and the safety of your vault cash. You don’t want someone to be able to predict when you and your machine will be vulnerable. Try to vault outside of business hours to minimize the amount of foot traffic around you when vaulting. And invest in an eLock if your machine doesn’t already have one to minimize the time you spend at the machine when cash is vulnerable. 

Monitor Activity

Finally, be diligent with monitoring your ATM’s activity. Remote online monitoring makes this quick and easy. It’s something you can do from an app on your phone. Knowing what “normal” ATM activity looks like allows you to quickly recognize when something isn’t right. 

For example, if you notice an unusual increase in withdrawals or unusually high withdrawal amounts, this could be a sign that someone has hacked into the machine and caused it to malfunction. The sooner you identify the breach, the sooner you can address it and prevent further loss. 

Remote online monitoring can also alert you to any major shifts or blows to the ATM equipment. Getting this alert could be a sign of an attempted breach or removal of the machine. But you’ve got to know your machine(s) well to be able to identify any anomalies. However, you need to know this anyway to properly vault the machine, so just don’t take unusual activity lightly. If something seems off, check on it.

Conclusion

We didn’t write this article to make you nervous. We wrote it to help you think of threats you might not have considered before. Knowing possible vulnerabilities allows you to take the appropriate precautions and prevent disasters.

To identify possible weaknesses in your ATM security, put yourself in the shoes of criminals. Are there any areas that aren’t properly secured? Are there any “invitations” to breaching the machine? Then, put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Do you feel safe using the machine? Are there any witnesses? Is your financial information secure?

All it really takes to improve ATM safety is a little foresight and preparation. If you take your ATM safety seriously, you can consider yourself a challenging target and therefore less likely to experience theft or tampering.

Protect Your ATM Machine with These 5 ATM Security Tips

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These 5 ATM security tips will help you protect your one and only business asset: your ATM machine. Aside from the machine itself, which cost you a few thousand dollars, that machine houses hundreds of dollars in cash as well as access to consumer data. 

To protect yourself, your customers, and the banks, follow these 5 security tips. They’re simple and cost much less than the consequences of an attack.

Potential ATM Machine Security Risks

There are two types of risks you face operating an ATM machine: physical attacks and logical attacks.

Physical attacks involve tampering with the machine itself whether it be vandalism or an attempt to break into the safe, uproot the machine, and access the cash inside. 

Logical attacks involve accessing the mainboard and other internal electronics to breach the software or hardware. If successful, logical attackers are able to control the machine or cause it to malfunction therefore giving them access to cash without having to break into the safe.

There are a number of ways fraudsters and scammers can tamper with an ATM machine in order to access users’ card and PIN information. As an ATM owner, check your machine carefully every time you visit it to protect your machine and your customers.

Pinhole Cameras

Pinhole cameras can be inserted into ATM machines in order to record users’ PIN numbers. This is why it’s wise to cover the PIN pad with the other hand when using it because, as the name suggests, the camera is not obviously visible. However, loose parts around the card slot or keypad can indicate the presence of a pinhole camera.

Fake Fronts

Fake fronts are card or cash capture and PIN capture devices. They provide fraudsters with quick access to cash. By attaching an entirely fake front to an ATM machine, fraudsters are able to capture PINs and money.

Skimmers and Shimmers

Skimmers are tools that attach to an ATM’s card slot and secretly capture card details when withdrawals are made. A shimmer is smaller than a skimmer and is used to collect data from a card’s chip. 

An unusually bulky card slot indicates that a skimmer is being used. Misaligned or misprinted stickers are another red flag. These indicate an attempt to cover up where a device has been installed.

Lebanese Loop

A Lebanese loop is a device that traps a card inside the machine. When this happens, the ATM will keep asking for a PIN since it can’t read the card. This leads users to believe that the card has been swallowed by the machine, which sometimes happens. 

However, in the case of a Lebanese loop, once you abandon the machine, the fraudster then has the opportunity to collect your card. Therefore, if you lose your card inside of an ATM machine, call a technician to retrieve it or immediately cancel the card with your bank and get a replacement with a new card number.

Counterfeit PIN Pad

Counterfeit PIN pads will feel loose, thick, or sponge-like. This is because there is a device on top of the legitimate PIN pad that is capturing the PIN while recording it correctly on the ATM to complete the transaction. This way, users remain unsuspecting because the transaction takes place as usual. Numbers are typically transferred instantly via WiFi to the fraudster to use later.

To protect yourself and your customers from these attacks, follow the following 5 ATM security tips:

5 ATM Security Tips

1. Place Carefully

First, place your ATM machine carefully. Not only should you consider the location of the establishment itself, but also the location within the establishment.

Plan ahead for locations with high crime rates like gas stations, convenience stores, pawn shops, etc. Make sure there are security cameras in the area or provide your own. Cameras not only deter criminals, they also provide a real-time feed of your ATM machine and its activity.

Place your ATM in an open, well-lit area. Position the machine to have as many eyes on it as possible, whether it be in a busy aisle or in view of cashiers and other employees.

Finally, limit physical access to the case to prevent logical attacks and tampering. If the machine is against the wall or blocked by shelves or other furniture, it will be difficult for scammers to access points of ingress.

2. Bolt Down the Machine

Bolting down the ATM machine prevents strangers from moving and manipulating it. You will want to get permission from the location owner first as you will have to bolt the machine to the location’s floor, but damage is minimal and residual blemishes can be covered up easily. It will be worth it in the end to prevent any physical attacks.

Your machine should come with 4 pre-drilled holes, one in each corner of the base. Then, with a hammer drill and ½” concrete bits, you will drill about 4” deep. You can also finish with red heads, special concrete anchors (½” x 4.25”) that are hammered through the hole in the base plate and then into the concrete. You can also instruct the ATM installer to bolt the machine down for you.

3. Restrict Access to the ATM Case

Logical attacks require access to the mainboard or other internal electronics, so you will want to secure the top of the case and the seam on the side. If there are gaps, criminals can access cabling between the mainboard and dispenser and gain control of the machine or cause it to malfunction. 

You can either fill the seams or place an internal barrier between the case and the critical electrical components. This creates a second barrier which can deter a criminal even if he or she succeeds in breaching the seam.

Finally, limit the number of people who have access to the ATM. Provide keys to only a few trusted individuals as needed and change them periodically if possible.

4. Regularly Update Software

Logical attacks require access to software. The older the software, the easier it is to breach because it will lack modern safeguards. This is why it’s important to keep software updated. Criminals will target machines with software security holes, so establish a schedule to ensure you don’t forget or neglect to update your software with the latest security upgrades.

5. ATM Insurance

If all else fails, hopefully you will have an insurance policy. ATM insurance won’t prevent an attack, but it can protect you after the fact. In the worst case scenario, you will want to be able to recoup any losses. Fortunately, ATM insurance is relatively inexpensive.

If you own your own store or business where your machine is located, see if you can add the ATM machine to your existing business insurance policy. If not, or if your machine is located in a standalone location, shop around for an ATM insurance policy.

Like any other insurance policy, ATM insurance can be customized to meet your specific wants, needs, and budget. You will want a policy that covers your machine and cash. The premium rate is based on the amount of coverage, the company providing it, and your budget—your policy can be customized to cover any potential risks you want to mitigate.

Consider coverage for any of these scenarios:

  • Stolen cash
  • Removal of the machine
  • Repairs or replacement due to physical damage
  • Robbery while cash is loaded or unloaded

General liability coverage can range from about $400-$700 a year. For many people, it’s well worth it for peace of mind.

Protect Yourself and Your Customers with These Security Tips

Preventing attacks—whether physical or logical—protects your ATM machine, yourself, your customers, and the banks that have to deal with fraudulent transactions and replacement cards. Use these 5 ATM security tips to safeguard your machine, but also be on the lookout for any signs of tampering.

Purchasing a camera is the best way to prevent any kind of attack. Not only will it deter criminals, but with your own camera you can also always keep an eye on your machine and make sure no one tampers with or lingers around it.

The better prepared you are, the less likely you are to experience an attack. And remember to always check for signs of tampering.