By Dave McKay | July 15, 2020
Antwerp-Based Bank Turns Off All ATMs
It’s reported that Antwerp-based bank Argenta had to rapidly close down all 143 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). That’s cashpoints to the British.
Jackpot!
They suffered several recent jackpotting attacks. This is where the attackers compromise the machine either physically, or remotely. Once they have control of the ATM they simply instruct it to dispense all of the money it has inside it. Like hitting the jackpot at Las Vegas.
The Belgian authorities are taking the view point that all of the attacks were perpetrated by the same hacking group. It would be a shocking coincidence if two or more hacking groups independently decided to mount a jackpotting attack on the same bank within days of one another.
Old Unpatched Hardware? Risky.
Apparently the ATMs are very old models made by Diebold Nixdorf. There’s something to be said for refreshing hardware now and then, and patching systems against known attack vectors.
Source: The Antwerp Times