Symantec What can be done to protect ATMs

There is a number of experts who increasingly emphasize on businesses and home users the need to upgrade existing facilities Windows XP with new versions of Windows, based not only on improved features but also on improving security and support.

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The ATMs are basically computers that control access to cash and as it almost turns out 95% of them run with Windows XP versions. With the imminent end of Windows XP from 8 April 2014, the banking industry faces a serious risk of cyber attacks targeting countless ATMs. This risk is not hypothetical - it already happens! Cybercriminals are targeting ATM with increasingly sophisticated mechanisms.

End of 2013, Symantec reported this new ATM malware in Mexico, which allowed attackers to enter ATMs by taking cash using an external keyboard. This threat was named Backdoor.Ploutus. A few weeks later, the company discovered a new kind that showed malware evolved . The new type was created in English, indicating that the malware creator had expanded to other countries. The new species was named Backdoor.Ploutus.B (referred to as Ploutus in the rest of the text).

What was very interesting with this kind of Ploutus is that it allows cybercriminals to simply send an SMS to the infringing ATM, and then spend and collect the distributed cash. It may sound incredible but this technique is used in many places around the world right now.

Connect the mobile phone to A.TM

Criminals can remotely control the ATM using a mobile phone, which is connected to the inside of the ATM. There are many ways to connect a cell phone to an ATM. A common method is to install a USB tethering, which is a shared internet connection between a telephone and a computer (or in this case an ATM).

Attackers must properly set up the phone, connect it to the ATM and infect the ATM with Ploutus. Once these steps are completed, a full two-way connection is created, enabling the phone to operate. Once the phone is connected to the ATM via the USB port, the phone draws power from the connection, which charges the phone battery indefinitely.

Send messages SMS on ATM

Once the mobile phone connects to the ATM and the set up is complete, criminals can send SMS messages to the phone connected within the ATM. Once the phone detects the new message in the specific format, the portable device will convert the message into a network packet that will forward it to the ATM via the USB cable.

Using SMS messages for remote ATM control is a much easier method for everyone because it is discreet and acts almost instantly. The primary criminal knows exactly how much money he / she will receive, and he / she is not required to stay for an extended period of time at the ATM waiting to receive money. They also synchronize their actions so that they receive the money, representing that they take off or when you pass by an ATM.

What can be done to protect them ATM

Modern ATMs have upgraded security features, such as encrypted hard drives, which can prevent such installation techniques. However, in older ATMs still running Windows XP, protection against such attacks can be challenging, especially when ATMs are located in remote locations. Another difficulty that needs to be addressed is the physical security of the ATM computer. While ATM money is locked in a safe, the computer is not. Without adequate physical protection in these systems, the attacker has the upper hand!

A series of measures that can be taken to make criminals difficult include:

  • Upgrade to an operating system such as Windows 7 or 8
  • Provide adequate physical protection and add CCTV closed circuit control to the ATM
  • Lock BIOS to prevent unauthorized use or input of media such as CD ROM or USB stick
  • Use full disk encryption to avoid disk tampering
  • Use a system lock solution such as Symantec Data Center Security: Advanced Server

With all the measures in place, the attackers will have a particular difficulty in attempting to tamper with the ATMs without an intern.

Its endpoint and server protection solutions Symantec will continue to support Windows XP systems for the foreseeable future. However, the company recommends Windows XP users to upgrade their operating system as soon as possible.

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Written by giorgos

George still wonders what he's doing here ...

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