The scary reality of today, is that the cycle of ATM violence has reached the point at which ATM explosions now seriously jeopardise the safety of the public. 

In response to the growing numbers of the attacks, the level of physical protection has been increased, for example, so-called ‘explosive resistant’ safes. However, using stronger safes simply generates a vicious circle of criminals applying more and more explosives.  This results in an even greater risk to public safety. 

The industry needs a more effective approach to address ATM explosive attacks.

Why ATM explosive attacks become such a dangerous threat? 

When ATMs were first installed back in the 1960s, protection from physical attacks was geared to the only internationally recognised safe standard at that time, UL 291 Level 1. This approved safe design was later copied and offered as the standard ATM safe, resulting in a widespread installed base of UL 291 Level 1 safes globally. 

Safe standards have evolved since then to provide more resistance. Some safe designs are still vulnerable to new criminal methods, such as thermal tools and hammers, crowbars, drills or cutting torches. However, all safes have one thing in common. They are all vulnerable to explosive attacks.

The ATM industry has constantly been searching for solutions to the problem but has had no success.

Some of these solutions included additional physical security features such as stronger shutter mechanisms which were added to the ATM to try and prevent the insertion of explosives. Stronger, heavier safes were also used to protect the cash against an explosive blast, and other measures such as smoke screens and CCTV were deployed. 

However, criminals are persistent and bring more and more explosives, typically doing a ‘double– knock’ attack to ensure they access the cash inside the ATM. This has resulted in increased collateral damage and an even greater risk to human life. 

This highlights just how important it is to addresses the root cause of the escalating problem of ATM explosive attacks and find a route to end this cycle of violence.

Passive and Active: Two types of ink staining systems 

Ink-staining systems are used as a defence against explosive attacks because ink serves as a criminal deterrent by ‘spoiling the prize’. There are two types of ink staining systems:

1. Active ink staining, also known as IBNS (Intelligent Banknote Neutralisation System): an electronic/ battery powered solution with sensors which trigger the release of ink if the explosion is detected. 
2. Passive ink staining:  the ink containers instantly rupture with the shock wave of the explosion and immediately release the ink. There are no electronics, batteries or sensors. 

Why is Passive Ink Staining so effective?

Passive ink staining uses game-changing shockwave technology, this is different to all other ink-staining solutions as it does not rely on sensors to detect an explosion and activate the ink.

Some of the benefits of the passive ink staining include:

• Fast and reliable reaction to an explosion: Passive ink staining is specifically designed to instantaneously rupture on explosive impact and effectively stain the notes inside the cassettes. 
• No risk of false activations: There is no risk of false activations because there are no sensors and consequently no impact on ATM servicing and replenishment. 
• Proven to reduce attacks on ATMs: Passive ink staining has been installed in more than 16,000 ATMs in South Africa by major ATM deployers and the number of explosive attacks has reduced dramatically.  
• High Security: Passive ink staining cannot be disconnected or tampered with as the ink will always be activated on explosive impact.
• More ink for maximum note coverage: The passive ink staining solution can hold double the volume of ink compared with IBNS systems. This means that the notes are more thoroughly stained in an explosion. It is proven to stain 100% of the notes in the cassette with most of the surface area of each note covered in ink. This solution has been approved by international industry testing authorities. 
• Peace of mind: Due to passive ink staining only being activated by the shockwave impact of an explosion, it means it is not affected by external influences such as weather or temperature, power shortages or battery life. Its effectiveness is in the simplicity of its passive design.
• Maximum note capacity:  Unlike other dye-stain solutions, the ink is typically located in the lid of the cassette meaning the note capacity of the cassette is not affected. This results in CIT costs not being affected because the note capacity remains the same, so no increase in cash management costs.
• Versatile and cost effective: Passive ink staining can be retrofitted into all cassettes and works with all bank note denominations and types, including polymer. It does not have any health and safety concerns and is cost effective and low maintenance.  

Conclusions

ATM deployers once believed they had no other alternative than to take ATMs out of locations where explosive attacks could be a serious risk to human lives.

Passive ink staining tackles the persistent and dangerous threat of explosive attacks, breaking the cycle of ATM violence and most importantly reducing the risk to public safety.

12 February 2020 – NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TMD Security announced today that it will showcase three complementary defenses against physical threats at ATMIA’s US Conference in Houston, Texas.

Protecting the cash inside the ATM and branch is a challenge. Old fashioned access processes involve the use of keys and cards which can be lost or stolen and there is also usually no real-time audit-trail. In TMD Security’s global survey of thirty ATM deployers and service providers, respondents said, for example, that service engineers typically use the same top box master key to access all ATMs in the network leaving them vulnerable to attacks such as jackpotting.

TMD’s ATM and Branch Access Management solution is a key-less, centrally managed secure access process for all types of ATM and door locks that remotely validates the IDs of the pre-authorised user, lock and mobile device and checks the pre-approved schedule in a split second at the time of access. One-Time-Codes are sent directly to the lock so that codes do not have to be written down. There is also a real-time automated audit trail.

“Replacing keys and cards with a single access protocol and audit trail for all access points is so much more secure than today’s fragmented processes,” said Cees Heuker of Hoek, CEO and Founder, TMD Security. “What is more, when analyzing the business case with clients to replace keys and manual processes with our ATM and Branch Access Management solution, we have uncovered the potential for staggering annual operational cost savings per ATM and branch.’’

TMD’s Intrusion Defense Kit (IDK), also on show, generates an alert in real time in the case of attacks using, for example, drilling or thermal tools, also unauthorised attempts to force open the top box or safe.

The number of reported gas and solid explosive attacks has become a significant concern to the global ATM industry. There are three ATM explosive attacks a day in Europe on average according to EAST (European Association for Secure Transactions). ATMs are consequently being removed from locations where an explosion would pose a serious risk to public safety. Solid explosive attacks have now spread to the US.

TMD’s Note Staining Kit (NSK) 7000 is the most effective deterrent against gas and solid explosive attacks because it is a passive note degradation system with no electronics. The ink sachets in the NSK cassette lid fracture instantly on the shockwave impact of the explosion ensuring that the cash is covered with ink. Also, there is no risk of false activations.

As Host Suzanne Cluckey says, ‘’For ATM deployers, it’s an endless task to keep up with ATM security threats.’’

In this podcast, sponsored by US Bank, Suzanne and Claire Shufflebotham, Global Security Director at TMD Security, discuss the major ATM security threats affecting the industry such as ATM explosive attacks, jackpotting and deep insert skimming.

They also explore the best strategies to overcome them – including new ways to keep the cash inside the ATM and branch safe such as TMD’s ATM and Branch Access Management solution.

Click on the image to start the postcast:

A recent whitepaper, ‘Protecting society from ATM explosive attacks’, written by TMD Security and Gunnebo, a leading manufacturer of ATM safes, analyses the root cause of these attacks and best practice defence. The conclusion is that the only way of addressing the problem is by rendering the cash worthless. Staining the cash with ink is a proven deterrent. In South Africa for example, where there was a serious problem with criminals blowing up ATMs with solid explosives, ink-staining is now used on more than 15,000 ATMs, and ATM attacks have been significantly reduced according to SABRIC (South African Banking Risk Information Centre).

However when it comes to ink-staining, most solutions do not actually cover the cash with enough ink in an explosion. This is because most are active ink-staining solutions, usually referred to as IBNS (Intelligent Banknote Neutralisation Systems) systems, which only work when sensors detect an explosion then trigger the release of the ink. The shockwave of a solid explosion is so fast, that the system is typically destroyed before the ink is released. A passive system such as TMD Security’s Note Staining Kit (NSK 7000) on the other hand, does not have electronics or sensors. As soon as the explosion happens, the shockwave ruptures the ink containers and the notes are instantly covered with ink.

Here are 10 reasons why passive note staining is the only effective defence against ATM gas and solid explosive attacks:

Contact us for a copy of the Whitepaper or more information on TMD’s Note Staining Kit.

More than 1,000 ATM explosive attacks were reported in Europe in 2018, according to EAST (European Association for Secure Transactions). In other regions such as South Africa and Latin America, ATM explosions are daily news.

In response to these attacks, the ATM industry has continued to increase the level of physical protection, but this has simply generated a vicious circle of criminals applying more and more explosives. Meanwhile, the risks to public safety continue to grow.

‘It is technically feasible to continue to improve safe designs to resist very high explosive charges,’ said Pieter D. de Vlaam, independent security consultant, Gunnebo. ‘However, in the interests of public safety, the safe industry is avoiding doing this because such designs would provoke criminals to use even higher explosive charges. We recommend a combination of high-security EN1143-1 CEN III GAS/EX or CEN IV GAS/EX safe with passive ink-staining as an effective strategy to protect society from violent ATM attacks.’

‘ATM explosions are a significant risk to human life,’ added Bastiaan Beens, Global Product Management Director, TMD Security. ‘A strong safe that can resist traditional physical attacks where criminals use grinders and thermal tools for example, combined with passive ink-staining such as Note Staining Kit 7000 to degrade the cash is the way forward. NSK 7000 is unique because it has no electronics or sensors. The shockwave of the gas or solid explosion instantly ruptures the specially designed ink containers and the cash inside the cassettes is thoroughly covered with ink.’

The whitepaper findings and recommendations will be presented at RBR’s ATM & Cyber Security 2019 and ATMIA’s Europe ATM & Payments Innovation Summit.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TMD Security announced today that it will showcase its new ATM Security Controller (ASC) 7000, a single modular solution architecture that controls a complete suite of defenses against card fraud, logical threats and physical attacks at ATMIA’s US Conference in Orlando 20-21 February.

The ATM industry’s first integrated key-less access control technology for ATM top box, safe, branch and secure room doors will also be demonstrated.

‘ATM deployers, CIT companies and service providers have told us they need to save money and improve efficiency while also maximizing ATM availability,’ said Tom Moore, EVP and Managing Director, TMD Security Americas. ‘TMD Access Control Technology helps them achieve all this with fast and cost-effective automated remote access management with audit trail, using secure one-time-codes sent via a mobile device instead of physical keys.’

Tamper Switch for Card Protection Plate will also be on display, a new solution that checks that the Card Protection Plate is in position, inside the card reader, filling the space that criminals need so that deep insert skimming and shimming is not possible.

ATM Management and Monitoring software from TMD’s sister company TMS ATM Software will be demonstrated. Included in the software suite are five modular packs that can be used together or on their own, including Security Management Software, Cash Management and Transaction Management.

‘The unique value of our ATM software lies in its all-in-one functionality with mix and match flexibility. ATM deployers tell us they particularly like its low cost of ownership and user-centric architecture and design,’ said Hugo Montiel, VP TMS ATM Software, Americas.

TMD’s Tom Moore will moderate a panel of ATM security experts at ATMIA’s security workshop ‘Protecting your ATMs from Criminal Attacks: What you Need to Know’ on 19 February, in Orlando. The speakers, including two US banks, will share insight into how criminals carry out attacks and the vulnerabilities they exploit so that ATM deployers are better informed on effective defense strategies.

The result is the ATM industry’s most cost effective, easy-to-manage complete ATM security strategy.

AMSTERDAM – (BUSINESS WIRE) – TMD Security announced today that it will showcase its new ATM Security Controller (ASC) 7000, a single modular solution architecture that controls a complete suite of defences against card fraud, logical threats and physical attacks at RBR’s ATM and Cyber Security conference in London 9-10 October.

TMD Locks will also be demonstrated, the ATM industry’s first integrated key-less access control system for ATM top box, safe and secure room door. Insight from a recent global survey conducted by TMD Security shows that ATM deployers are looking to improve security and at the same time reduce the costs and management overheads associated with handling physical keys and controlling ATM access. TMD Locks is a fully certified solution that solves these challenges with fast, secure and cost-effective automated remote access control using one-time codes securely generated by the Hardware Security Module and sent via mobile phone.

The AI concept of NEM Technology, developed together with sister company TMS ATM Software, can potentially be used with TMD Locks for extra protection against unauthorised access to the ATM top box or safe.

‘Based on our global industry research, ATM deployers do not only want security solutions that successfully protect their ATMs and cardholders against potential attacks, but they also need to keep up-front investment and operational costs as low as possible, ‘said Cees Heuker of Hoek, Founder TMD Security. ‘ASC7000 solves these challenges because it is a single solution that controls all potential defences, to significantly reduce the cost of deploying and managing ATM security solutions.’

TMD Security will show its new Note Staining Kit (NSK) 7000 with passive shockwave technology that instantly ruptures in an ATM explosion and is proven in tests to stain 65.5% of the surface of the notes with ink.

Card Protection Plate (CPP) 7000 will also be on display, a new level of protection against deep insert skimming and shimming that is integrated into the ASC7000 architecture for real-time remote monitoring.

SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TMD Security announced today the release of its Security Management Software portfolio that includes Security Kit Monitoring, Profile Management, Access Management and ATM Fraud Detection.

Security Kit Monitoring gives an instant ‘one-look’ dashboard view of the status of the security kits on the network, with alerts via email, SMS or mobile app, ensuring that each ATM is protected and that service calls are productive, reducing costs and maximising cardholder convenience.

Security Kit Monitoring works with Gas Defence Kit’s ‘spark’ technology to safely ignite any gas the criminal inserts into the ATM , preventing an explosion, and alerts of any attacks. Note Staining Kit+ protects against explosive attacks by using ink to neutralise the value of the notes and ‘spoil the prize’. Unlike other note staining systems that are destroyed by the explosion before they have time to activate the ink, Note Staining Kit+ uses patented shockwave technology that instantly ruptures the ink canisters and stains the notes on explosive impact. Additional security features stain the notes if there are traditional physical attacks using grinders or thermal tools, and Security Kit Monitoring generates an alert.

Profile Management protects against malware and black box attacks by comparing the software and hardware on the ATM with the defined correct versions stored centrally and alerts if changes are made.

Access Management ensures that only authorised users have access to the ATM via USB or Windows and defends against malware.

ATM Fraud Detection alerts if suspicious transactions occur at the ATM by comparing pre-defined business rules with actual transactions and the ATM can either be shut down or the card can be blocked.

‘ATM crime trends, including deep insert skimming and explosive attacks, are unfortunately spreading fast in Asia Pacific,’ said Mike van der Wal, MD APAC, TMD Security. ‘We are committed to help ATM deployers be prepared and take their security defences to the next level.’

TMD Security will share insight into the latest global ATM threats and how to defend against them at ATMIA ATM & Cash Innovation Asia.

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TMD Security announced today the release of Gas Defence Kit, a new addition to its expanding portfolio of physical security solutions that protect against ATM explosive attacks. Intelligent ‘spark’ technology works with TMD’s real-time remote monitoring software for a centrally controlled end-to-end defence strategy.

The number of explosive attacks rose by forty seven percent to 988 in 2016 in Europe alone, according to the European Association for Secure Transactions (EAST), and seventy seven percent of these were gas attacks. Criminals use more gas to overcome defences such as stronger safes and gas suppressant systems and the risk of collateral damage and the threat to human lives are even greater.

Gas Defence Kit addresses the problem differently by ensuring that gas does not build up inside the ATM, preventing an explosion. No matter how much gas the criminal uses, the intelligent ignition module generates small sparks that safely ignite the flammable gas in a controlled way.

TMD’s monitoring software combined with Gas Defence Kit ensures that the ATM is always effectively protected and generates alerts for fast response to suspected attacks.

TMD’s monitoring software is already used together with TMD’s Card Protection Kit (CPK) by a growing number of customers worldwide. Insight into security kit status means that the ATM is continuously protected and service calls are productive, saving costs and reducing ATM down-time.

Gas Defence Kit, together with TMD’s monitoring software, will be available for all major ATM models and works with TMD’s portfolio of complementary security solutions, including Note Staining Kit.

‘We are committed to bringing game-changing defences to the industry,’ said Cees Heuker of Hoek, Founder, TMD Security. ‘TMD’s monitoring software combined with CPK hardware technology has taken anti-skimming protection to the next level and we are now also combining our monitoring software with Gas Defence Kit and future security kits including Note Staining Kit+.’

TMD Security will present its findings on how technology innovation, including Note Staining Kit shockwave technology, has helped to counter ATM crime migration at ATMIA ATM and Payment Security.