Europe not enough for ATM Malware

Criminals have been using new malware ‘Tyupkin’ to steal millions of USD from cash machines that run Windows’ 32-bit operating systems according to researchers, who have said that the breach has evolved over recent months.

Security vendor Kaspersky said that, earlier in the year, the malware was present in over 50 ATMs in Eastern Europe and that now, it seems to have made its way to other countries, which include the US, India and China.

Kaspersky found the malware when a financial organisation requested an investigation, the firm said in an online article. The malware impacts ATMs produced by a prominent manufacturer that Kaspersky has chosen to leave unnamed, and was built to avoid being found through various tactics.

Researchers found Tyupkin remains active only at a certain time during the night, and employs a key that enables the hacker to communicate with the machine, said the article

The firm commented:

“When the key is entered correctly, the malware displays information on how much money is available in every cassette and allows an attacker with physical access to the ATM to withdraw 40 notes from the selected cassette.”

Cyber hacking appears to be spreading from computers to mobile devices and now ATM machines. Any business that stores sensitive data on electronic devices is under threat and needs to be vigilant to protect that data. By looking at their IT security recruitment policies and asking themselves if they are prioritising correctly, they are taking the first step in confronting the issue.