Security comes standard
Wincor Nixdorf has taken security and customer privacy seriously at the ABM. In doing so they have incorporated a number of standards into their ABM design as well as providing a number of optional security features for increased security, including:
- UL 291 rated safe
- Mechanical and Electronic lock options
- Recessed screen design
- LCD Privacy Screen*
- Encrypting PIN pad
- Stainless Steel
- Triple DES capable
- Tamper Resistant
- Interac Certified
- EMV compliant card readers*
- Tamper indicating cash cassette
- Camera*
- Portrait video camera
- Cash slot camera
- PIN pad shield*
- Anti-Skimming*
- Anti-Card Capture*
* Optional security features available
Our ABM customers continue to highlight security as one of their top issues. Moving to an open, standards based technology and components for the ABM channel brings a number of benefits, but with it come a number of risks and threats to name a few:
- Microsoft Windows XP is perhaps the most notorious operating system for its susceptibilities to viruses and worms
- Internet Protocol (IP) based ABMs are computing devices containing REAL currency! Any IP address is a hot target.
- The ABM terminal itself is not the only element vulnerable to attack. Payment switches, item processing servers, application servers and supporting infrastruc ture are just as vulnerable and must be protected.
Combating card fraud
Debit card fraud has more that doubled in the three years since 2004, reaching an estimated $100 million in 2006. Banks are focusing on ways to not only circumvent fraud at the ABM but more importantly ensure customer’s privacy at this very popular and well used channel.
Skimming
A skimmer is a foreign device used to read card data and make copies. Using modern technology, skimming devices have now become so small that even experts have trouble detecting them.
This attack, often in combination with a miniature camera, is occurring more often all over the world, with Canadian ABMs being hit more frequently every year.
A skimming module consists of housing, a magnetic read head, battery, and electronic circuitry that either stores the card data or transfers the data via wireless technology. In addition, other technical devices, i.e. miniature cameras, or PIN pad overlays, record the card owner’s PIN.
There are three options available for preventing skimming attacks – Jitter, the WN Anti-skimmer, and the TMD CPK+ solution.
Jitter
The card reader firmware is modified to change the way a card is read. On insertion of the card, it is moved back and forth, at different speeds, while the card reader is reading the information. This process will stop skimmers that require simple motion in order to read the card.
Unfortunately, the jitter technique can be defeated by skimming devices that read card information as a consumer is removing the card. In addition, it is only a matter of time before technology will advance to the point where card velocity sensing will be incorporated into the skimmer to compensate for the jitter motion. However, it is an effective method for preventing skimming attacks by simple devices, and can be used in conjunction with other security features.
Anti-skimmer feature
Wincor Nixdorf solution is able to detect the presence of skimmers and take action against the attack. A sensor mounted behind the fascia detects changes in the electro-magnetic field in the immediate vicinity of the card reader slot.
Changes in the electro-magnetic field are monitored over a period of time to prevent false alarms (i.e. Consumer wearing a ring or holding a cell phone near the card reader slot). If the signature does not revert back to the original steady-state value within this timeframe, the Anti-Skimmer determines that an attack is occurring.
If the intent is to catch the perpetrator, the machine can be left in operation while a silent alarm is sent to a security company who will in turn dispatch the police to apprehend the individual.
If the intent is to prevent skimming attacks, the ABM can be taken out of service when an attack occurs.
Anti-card capture
A card capture device is used to secure customer card while a criminal observes the user PIN.
Wincor Nixdorf’s motorized card reader with the Anti-Card Capture feature prevents the card capture loop type of fraud. If a card is unable to be returned to a consumer, and also not able to be retracted into the card bin, a mechanical clamp engages, trapping the card in the card capture device. The harder the perpetrator tries to remove the card, the harder the clamp engages. The ABM is taken out of service and a status message is sent to the host, stating that a “Card Trap” event has occurred. Trained personnel can subsequently retrieve the card and return the ABM to service. This feature is easily upgradeable in the field and can be used in combination with all three anti-skimming options.
Award winning security solutions
Both the Anti-Skimming and the Anti-Card Capture solutions were awarded the ABM Security Best Technology Award by ABMIA in 2003.
Regulatory compliance
The Wincor Nixdorf ProCash ABM hardware solutions are third-party certified and fully compliant with the current Interac operating regulations. The Encrypting PIN Pad on all ProCash ABMs in Canada has been certified by an authorized Interac Device Certification Agent.
In addition:
- PIN processing and Message Authentication Code processing for all ABMs are compliant with Interac operating regulations.
- Software for loading keys directly at the Encrypting PIN Pad is fully compliant with Interac Security Regulations.
- All of the ProCash ABMs include a hybrid card reader that provides both magnetic stripe and chip card capability. The ABM hardware is ready for current EMV (Europay MasterCard VISA) chip card implementations.
IBM and Wincor Nixdorf take regulatory compliance seriously and continuously ensure that all hardware and software meets the emerging regulatory requirements.
Camera integration
The Wincor Nixdorf ABMs can be configured with a colour portrait camera feature. Conspicuous implementation of a video monitoring system acts as a deterrent to criminal activity. Video monitoring and transaction-oriented storage of video image data can also be used to prove whether or not an authorized person conducted a transaction.
The video output can also be stored on an external Digital Video Recording device, and subsequently integrated into a larger video surveillance offering.
Remote key load
Due to changes in world-wide compliance requirements, ABM Terminal Master Keys need to be changed on a much more frequent basis than is currently the case. There is a huge cost associated with this effort, since the current mechanism involves a two-person site visit to every ABM.Wincor Nixdorf’s solution for enabling Remote Key Load consists of software that runs on the ABM, under Diebold 91x or NCR NDC+ emulation. The software runs on Wincor Nixdorf, NCR, and Diebold hardware. The solution interfaces with existing switch-based distribution applications. Alternatively,Wincor Nixdorf also has a server-based key distribution system, ProTect/Enterprise RKL Server.
Operating system protection
Access to the operator functions of the ABM is controlled by the operating system built-in logon security. The majority of our customers find this sufficient for their needs. However, an optional software component is available, called ProTect/One, to provide additional operating system lockdown security as necessary.
ProTect/One, delivers increased protection against unauthorized attempts to access ABMs by hardening the operating system to minimize access.Without using ProTect/One, access to the Windows operating system can be obtained by plugging a keyboard into the ABM. Using the ProTect/One lock down product, Windows logon is graduated with different access rights for different classes of users.
Logon can be restricted to specific users, with limits set on the actions a user can perform. Security policies can be modified by the ABM service provider, or by the service provider’s technical consultant. The policies are centrally created and managed. By providing an additional layer of protection through graduated access to the ABM operating system, the ProTect/One Lock Down offer is able to reduce the threat of unauthorized access to the system.
Increasingly higher costs caused by loss of productivity due to viruses and worms and the tremendous effort involved in eliminating damages are the best arguments for introducing measures to protect ABMs, for both known and unknown threats. Platform Security Agent (PSA) is Wincor Nixdorf’s answer to this challenge.
PSA not only identifies and prevents malicious software (Worms, Viruses, Trojans, Spy-ware, DoS (Denial of Service) etc.) from infecting your self-service systems, but it also delivers protection against network threats through an innovative intrusion protection system. PSA concentrates on behavioural patterns. The behavioural patterns contain descriptions of:
- who (process, services, applications, users, etc,)
- has access (via network, direct access, USB port, CD-ROM etc,)
- to what (registry, disk, file system, areas of memory etc.)
PSA provides host intrusion detection, distributed firewall, malicious mobile code prevention, operating system integrity assurance and audit log consolidation, all in a single agent. If offers protection against entire classes of attacks, including port scans, buffer overflows, Trojan horses, malformed packets, malicious HTML requests and e-mail worms. PSA provides “Zero Update” prevention from known and unknown attacks. PSA provides protection against “Zero-day” attacks.