95% of cash machines can become an easy target for hackers -
Nearly 95% of ATMs in the world could soon become targets for hackers unless their software is updated April 8, as reported by Businessweek. It is most 420,000 ATMs in the US, in addition to others around the world run on Windows XP. Since Microsoft is killing XP support deadline to April this means that ATMs will no longer receive security patches to correct flaws in the operating system.
What does this mean for ATMs with Windows XP?
to ATMs still running Windows XP after April 8, this means that they become defenseless hackers because the software security vulnerabilities will no longer be fixed. So once a pirate recognizes a vulnerability with the software, they will be able to operate without interruption security updates to patch the cracks
To buy a little time to make level, some of the largest banks -. Such as JP Morgan Chase - negotiating agreements with Microsoft for an extension of technical support for one year, allowing the bank to ensure that the upgrade was done properly. And for ATMs running Windows XP Embedded, a basic version of the software, Microsoft Support will continue until 2016.
What this means for ATM users?
If a bank fails to upgrade the software or to obtain an extension of technical support, financial information of its customers is much more vulnerable to a breach or hack, especially when compared to ATMs with the updated software. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to educate and protect.
1. Ask questions: Contact your bank and ask the client representative if the ATMs of the bank or must be updated. Be sure to ask for the details, such as dates when the ATMs will be updated and if there is a way you can verify that an ATM has been updated. If the representative said that the ATMs are already updated or do not work on Windows XP, your financial information is to remain safe.
2. Avoid ATM: If your bank does not give you written documentation when ATMs will be updated as a letter or email or can not not provide the details of the update when you call, you may want to consider avoiding the ATM for a bit or at least until you can guarantee the security of ATMs. Instead, rely more on other forms of banking services, such as execution of transactions with a teller inside the bank and on-line banking. Once the bank can ensure the upgrade of the software, you can feel safe execution of transactions at the ATM.
3. Prepare when traveling: Whether you are planning a trip a month or a weekend in another country, you must make sure you bring all the money you will need. This is especially true if you're traveling abroad, because we consider that 95% of ATMs worldwide are running Windows XP, there is a chance that some of them will not updated in time for the deadline April 8. that said, it is also important to remember that it is not safe to travel with a large amount of money, so a good alternative may be to bring a small amount of cash and travelers checks or even a prepaid debit or credit card - which will help protect your financial information if the ATM is violated.
If your computer is still running Windows XP, make sure you follow these steps to protect against infringement of hacking or security. Also visit our protection against identity theft blog for more tips on how to protect your identity in all aspects of your life.
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