ATM Hacking at Banks must be Controlled, Advise Police

Following a series of cyber-assault incidences targeted at ATM software and thereafter cash collection from the automatic teller machines by cyber-criminals, Reserve Bank of India and the Commissionerate Police have requested every bank towards making its security technology more enhanced.

Over the past 6 weeks, hackers made a chaos in banks within no less than 4 districts of Odisha state through hacking of ATMs and then stealing INR 40 lakhs-and-more out of those machines.

On March 4, 2017, the hackers tried to steal from the ATM of Corporation Bank situated at Vivekananda Marg of Bhubaneshwar capital, although couldn't succeed. Newindianexpress.com posted this, March 6, 2017.

A thorough probe by Commissionerate Police shows that one likewise theft was said to have occurred inside the City, February 24 when some INR 7 lakhs were stolen. Authorities became concerned after one more happening of the same kind got reported from Corporation Bank situated at Cuttack where there was a burglary of INR 17 lakhs on March 4.

On March 3, there were 3 identical cyber-thefts at Puri when money stolen was INR 5 lakhs. According to Commissionerate Police, there must be a single outfit carrying out all the thefts, with the miscreants forming the outfit certainly highly cyber-savvy.

According to sources from police, likewise cyber-crime incidences got reported about theft of INR 10 lakhs of cash from an ATM of State Bank of India in Balasore, 18th February. Later, 3rd March, cyber-criminals tried embezzling the ATM software operated at 3 banks inside Puri.

In a statement Khurania said the anti-hacking arrangements of ATMs impacted during the incidences of Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar were inadequate. But according to the banks, they were innocent since they themselves weren't operating the ATMs, whose operations were handed over to private firms. Banks were advised towards upgrading their technology for stopping ATM software hacking.

Banks as well as service providers too had been asked for informing about the kind of massive cash thefts on an urgent manner to police. In addition to that they must make all their operating software up-to-date with Windows 7 and later versions besides enhancing their security firewalls.

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