ATM Security Threat Analysis

ATMs can be a target for various types of crime.

An ATM security-threat analysis centers on determining how safe a location is for a customer to use an ATM, as well as potential risks for fraud-related losses, both on the part of the bank and its customers.

Significance

ATMs are a high-risk location for several types of crime, including armed robbery, vandalism and digital identity theft. An ATM security-threat analysis can be used to determine if and when an ATM should be open at a location, either based on direct location history or general crime trends in the area. ATM threat analysis may also cover the vulnerability of specific ATM designs to information-theft devices.

Types

ATM threat-analysis reports compiled by private security officers typically center on known incidence reports for the location the officers monitor. ATM threat analysis conducted by private security consultants or the police focuses on the broader surrounding area of an existing or proposed ATM location. Private security consultants combine data about surrounding-area crime statistics with internal private security record investigations of specific ares.

Benefits

ATM threat-analysis reports give banks and shop owners the information they need to make informed decisions about the probability that a crime will occur relating to their ATM. ATM owners can use the information presented in the report to decide if the risks outweigh the befits of placing an ATM in a new location or maintaining one in a problem area when they compare it to the ATM's earning potential.

References

• CBC News: ATM Skimming Gear Busted by Bank Customer
• Threat Analysis Group: Security Solutions for ATMs
• ATM Security: ATM Security Issues and ATM Fraud Issues by Geography
• Washington University Engineering: A Survey on ATM Security