Diebold Bolsters Anti-Skimming Technology in ATMs

In an effort to combat the growing threat of financial loss through ATM Skimming, ATM maker Diebold has re-engineered components in some of its ATMs, including a re-engineered bezel and has launched a service to detect and prevent skimming activity.

The re-engineered bezel – the portion of the ATM containing the card slot and the surrounding area, now incorporates what Diebold describes as “geometric fascia alterations,” making it more difficult for fraudsters to attach a skimming device. Dieblod says the re-engineered bezel helps protect the integrity of the bezel during removal attacks and features a sensor that can trigger an alarm and notify the financial institution of an attempt to remove the bezel.

Along with the new hardware updates, Diebold launched an interchangeable bezel service. Dubbed “Opteva BezelSentry Service”, the offering enables financial institutions to receive pre-scheduled or emergency bezel changes to an single ATM or an entire fleet, helping to stay a step ahead of would-be fraudsters.

“As skimming attempts continue to increase, the interchangeable bezel is an extremely valuable tool within our multi-layered security approach,” said W. Curt Tiettmeyer, vice president, ATM administration, Fifth Third Bank. “It provides us with an innovative solution to mitigate card skimming and enhance protection of the ATM channel.”

Diebold said all shipped Opteva ATMs will be equipped with the new interchangeable bezel design. Diebold has been shipping terminals equipped with the interchangeable bezel design since December 2010. Previously shipped Opteva terminals can be retrofitted with the re-engineered bezel. The company said future bezel replacements will be available with minimal impact on ATM uptime. The bezel upgrades are available globally for all motorized and dip card reader ATMs.

“The Opteva BezelSentry Service takes Diebold’s suite of anti-skimming solutions to a completely new level,” said Chuck Somers, vice president, ATM security and systems, Diebold. “We’ve helped financial institutions reduce ATM fraud for years by using multiple layers of technology to protect ATMs. By pushing the industry forward from detection to prevention, we’re leading the way to protect consumers from ever having to experience ATM data theft in the first place.”

In August the company unveiled a prototype for a virtualized ATM developed in collaboration with VMware. The virtualized ATM prototype showcases Diebold’s vision for combining self-service and virtualization technologies that can enable financial institutions to enhance security, mitigate fraud, and improve operational efficiency.  

Canton, Ohio based Diebold employs more than 16,000 employees and had revenue of US$2.8 billion in 2010.