Hackers loaded malware onto bank
machines around the world, causing the ATMs to spit out millions In cash
without the need for an access card. The hack required criminals to break into
the bank machine, load it with a CD containing malware and restart it. The ATM
then displayed how much money it contained and let the criminals clean it out.
The attacks happened at night - intriguingly, only on Sundays and
Mondays.
Security experts said the criminals
used the system as many as 31 times across Russia. the US, China and
India -
although
no incidents have yet been reported in the UK.
Security experts from Kaspersky
said the attackers go by the name Tyu pki n.
How will it affect you?
Hopefully, it won’t. Now that the
authorities are on the case, ATMs should be patched or at least better guarded.
However, the hack presents a good example of how cybercrime escalates. Most banks
worry about skimmers being installed in bank machines that can steal card
details and PINs but, in this case, the attackers succeeded without even using
a card, which shows the increasing ingenuity of hackers in devising their
attacks.
Either way, it’s banks rather than
customers that take the hit on this one. although many more hacks of this
nature could force an increase in account fees.
What do we think?
Criminals though they are, you
have to be impressed with the continuing creativity of hackers: finding a way
to get ATMs to spit out cash is the sort of thing many of us dream of. In this case, though, it’s
hard to believe that banks have so little security that anyone can walk up to
an ATM, pry it open, run a CD and then wait around to collect the loot. Perhaps
this hack will persuade banks to upgrade their outdated software so criminals
won’t be able to exploit security weaknesses so brazenly in future.
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