Criminal activity usually experiences an uptick during times of crisis, and this continues to ring true during the spread of the novel coronavirus.  While traffic crime and drug crime substantially dropped as large populations have sheltered in place, not all crime categories have seen a decline.

In early 2020, ATM crime was already on the rise in large US cities like St. Louis, Chicago, and Baltimore.  The State of Florida even experienced a string of explosive ATM attacks.  But, as COVID-19 began spreading around the nation, many cities reported a further increase in ATM burglaries.  This could be attributed to the rise in unemployment experienced as cities mandated shutdowns across the nation.

ATMs present a lucrative opportunity to both high-tech and low-tech criminals, as machines can have both electronic and physical vulnerabilities.  Criminals lacking a sophisticated technology background can resort to brute-force attacks to gain access to cash stored inside machines.

In order to protect your ATM fleet from potential threats, you must take a two-pronged approach.

Protect ATMs from Physical Break-Ins

There are many best practices for protecting your ATMs from physical break-ins.  Most notably, use physical barriers and camera systems wherever possible.

Dye packs are another tactic that has been successfully used to decrease ATM attacks.  Many European countries successfully use dye packs to dissuade criminal activities as they render cash unusable.  Utilize signage to advise potential criminals of the presence of dye-packs to thwart attacks before they occur.

Should a machine utilizing dye packs be breached, dyed cash has been used to assist law enforcement with finding those responsible for the attack on the machine.  In many cases, dyed cash can even be traded in for replacement funds.  

Protect ATMs from Software Attacks

While there are many ways to gain access to an ATM’s back-end system, experts agree keeping software up-to-date and removing unnecessary software is a good start.  

As ATMs age, they can face particular vulnerabilities as new viruses are created.  Often, malware exploits features on older ATMs that would not have been vulnerable at the time of manufacture.  Because malware attacks are ever-evolving, deployers must diligently remain informed on the latest technologies and services to protect their machines.

It is no secret that criminals commonly target ATMs. If you currently have ATMs that are not accessible by patrons due to the pandemic, consider emptying them of cash and disconnecting them to avoid any additional risk. It is up to the Financial Institution or Independent ATM Developer to ensure their terminals are running on appropriate software and are kept up-to-date with industry recommendations.

If you have questions about how to better protect your ATMs during the pandemic, contact the team at EFX for additional guidance.