Citibank/7-Eleven ATMs Infiltrated, PINs Stolen
So you follow your bank's advice to the letter when it comes to ATM security: You don't let someone snoop over your shoulder why you're using it, you don't stand there to count your cash immediately after withdrawal, and, most importantly, you've chosen a PIN that isn't "1234." Good for you, you're doing your part. Sadly, though, it seems that Citibank, and two companies that operate thousands of its ATMs, are not doing their's. Somehow hackers have found a way to infiltrate those ATMs and steal the PIN numbers of anyone who used them.
The automatic tellers affected are the Citi-branded ones found at 7-Eleven stores. These machines -- of which there are 5,700 in total -- are operated by Cardtronics Inc. and Fiserv Inc. The machines themselves were not affected, but it seems that both companies failed to encrypt PINs that were transmitted from the ATM to their central computers, so once the hackers were able to access those central servers, they were able to grab numbers without any hassle.
It's unclear just how they gained access to those supposedly secure central computers or how many bank accounts were compromised, but Citibank is taking steps to send new debit cards to those whose PINs, regardless of how complex, were stolen. Maybe it's time for you to ask your bank just how secure their ATM interactions are. [Source: AP]
