Worm hits Windows-based ATMs

[SilvrDrgn]

"Automated teller machines at two banks running Microsoft's popular Windows software were infected by a computer virus in August, the maker of the machines said Monday."

Full story at this LINK.

CNet Technology News

[Coder]

"It's a horrendous security mistake," he said of specific-purpose machines like ATMs running Windows, which is written for general-purpose computers and for which Microsoft releases security fixes on a regular basis. "I'm a lot more worried about my money than I was before this."

That makes 2.

To help prevent future problems Diebold is shipping ATMs with firewall software designed to block out viruses and other attacks, he said.

Phewww now I can sleep safely at night, not!

What's next?

Coder

[TheJackal]

When they start to put Windows software into car engine managment systems, I'll be asking who wrote the software when I next buy a car.

especially when the brakes become fly by wire! (my cars throttle already is!) :-o

[dammy]

Good thing you ask when, and not if.

Dammy

[KennyR]

I hope this leaves the banks open to a huge lawsuit from customers. Not only do they deserve it for being so stupid (or greedy?) to use Microsoft software, it might make banks switch to much more secure non-MS software solutions.

[lempkee]

well its not really news...as we knew this would happen and it surely wont be the last we hear of this..

seriously banks are supposed to be SAFE! so why do they use MICROSOFT sw then?


i am about to insert my money under the pillow..

[takemehomegrandma]

WHY ON EARTH would one want to use Windows in an ATM or such? :-?  :-?  :-?

[Psy]

Diebold switched from using IBM's OS/2 on its ATMs because banks were requesting Windows, said Steve Grzymkowski, senior product marketing manager at Diebold.

They went from OS/2 to Windows isn't that a downgrade :-D

 he said. "Another advantage is they are familiar with Windows."

 
Wouldn't training make familiarity erelevent? unless they don't train their technicians?  The though of my bank having technicians fresh out of college with no in house training makes me feel so secure :nervous:

[Ilwrath]

To help prevent future problems Diebold is shipping ATMs with firewall software designed to block out viruses and other attacks, he said.

I loved this quote, too....  Geesh!!!! What the heck were they thinking putting a Windows box on a semi-public network WITHOUT A FIREWALL IN THE FIRST PLACE!  GAH!!!!  Cripes, I wouldn't put my mom's computer on the internet without a firewall...  Let alone a freakin' bank ATM!

Diebold has repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of comprehension of security procedures.  I view this as a problem, since they are the US's favorite supplier of banking and voting systems.  (sigh)

[that_punk_guy]

At the 24hr store in Colne there's three ATMs in a row, and everyone queues up for the ones with the mono screen. There's a very pretty colour one, but it seems people have started to associate pretty displays with unreliability. Hardly surprising, really :-)

[Acill]

Man thats to funny, I remember using an ATM once that crashed in the middle of a transaction. It was running Win XO too and asked me to contact my system admin. I ended up having to call the back because it took the cash out of my account, but never gave it to me at the ATM.

[Psy]

Man thats to funny, I remember using an ATM once that crashed in the middle of a transaction. It was running Win XO too and asked me to contact my system admin. I ended up having to call the back because it took the cash out of my account, but never gave it to me at the ATM.

There is a internet booth at a mall near me but hardly anyone uses it since anymore ever since its copy of windows 2000 kept rebooting radomly meaning you'd lose your the time you'd paid for.

[Matt_H]

everyone queues up for the ones with the mono screen. There's a very pretty colour one, but it seems people have started to associate pretty displays with unreliability

True true. I far prefer to use the ancient amber terminals to find books rather than the Windows-powered web interface at my local library.

[Dan]

At my library they switched from  some black and white VT100 terminal which worked perfectlly to Win2000, so now one of the machines has been standing there broken  for almost a year and the other one requires regular rebooting.
Not to mention the electricity bill :lol:

If a machine should do anything else than run IE, MS Office and crash/lock up, then don´t use Windows.

Banks, what´s next  nuclear powerplants?
Firecontrol for nukes?

Bill Gates should be sued for crimes against humanity!

[ottomobiehl]

I'm all for ATM's which run off a C=64.