Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Cyber threat growing reports: Hackers target ATMs in Europe, including Belarus

belsat.eu, via «Reuters»

Cyber criminals have remotely attacked cash machines in more than a dozen countries across Europe this year, using malicious software that forces machines to spit out cash, Reuters reports with reference to cyber security firm Group IB.

The recent heists in Europe and Asia were run from central, remote command centers, enabling criminals to target large numbers of machines in “smash and grab” operations that seek to drain large amounts of cash before banks uncover the hacks.

Group IB declined to name banks that were ‘jackpotted’, a term used to describe forcing ATMs to spit out cash, but said the victims were located in Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Britain and Malaysia.

In turn, Kanstansin Shalkevich, Head of Information and Public Relations Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that there had been no recent cyber attacks on ATMs in Belarus.

“New cyber attacks on ATMs have not been recorded in Belarus. Journalists are reporting the cases happened in summer. The situation is under control,” said Shalkevich.

Diebold Nixdorf and NCR Corp, the world’s two largest ATM makers, said they were aware of the attacks and have been working with customers to mitigate the threat.