Diebold, NCR Warn About ATM Hack

ATM makers Diebold Nixdorf and NCR Corporation are warning that hackers are going after ATM machines in the U.S. with tools, which can result in the machines spitting out cash.

According to a report in Reuters, the two of the biggest ATM makers in the world said hackers can access the cash by making the machines spit it out using a scheme commonly called jackpotting. The report noted that jackpotting scams have been increasing around the world during the past few years, but it’s not clear how much cash the hackers have obtained, because victims and police departments tend to not disclose the details. Officials at Diebold and NCR confirmed to Reuters that they have sent out alerts to clients warning them of the hacks.

In NCR’s alert, it said the cases of jackpotting were the first confirmed in the U.S. While NCR said its equipment hasn’t been targeted by recent hacks, it is something of which the entire industry should be aware. “This should be treated by all ATM deployers as a call to action to take appropriate steps to protect their ATMs against these forms of attack,” the alert said.

Diebold Nixdorf said in its alert that U.S. authorities told them hackers are going after one of its ATM model machines, the Opteva, which went out of production several years ago. They also said that some of the hackers’ actions included gaining physical access to the ATMs, replacing the hard drives and using equipment to reset the device.

As Krebs on Security reported, a confidential alert was sent to banks from the U.S. Secret Service, warning that hackers are targeting stand-alone ATMs that are usually found in drug stores, big-box retailers and drive-thru ATMs.