BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has launched the European ATM Security Team (EAST), a group dedicated to combating the growing threats of cross border debit card fraud, card skimming, ATM scams and ATM crime in Europe.
EAST is a joint initiative of ATMIA and Banksys in Belgium, according to a news release. EAST, which is supported by Europol, will participate in the Global ATM Security Alliance formed by ATMIA in June, 2003.
The objective of EAST is to protect the European ATM industry from crime, and to facilitate effective representation of ATM related security issues at relevant European central institutions, through a pan-European coordination of ATM security resources.
"Initially we are pulling together representation from ATM deployers and networks in all 15 European Union member states, as well as from Europol and EuroJust" said Lachlan Gunn, European security adviser to ATMIA and founder and coordinator of EAST, in the release. "Towards the end of the year we will focus on getting involvement from the 10 States that will join the EU on May 1."
EAST founding members are ATMIA, Automatia (Finland), Banksys (Belgium), BenAlpin Ltd (UK), CB-Groupement Cartes Bancaires (France), Cetrel (Luxembourg), Danske Bank (Denmark), EuroKartensysteme (Germany), Europol, GZS (Germany), ING Bank (Netherlands), Interpay (Netherlands), LINK (UK), Nationwide Building Society (UK), SEB (Sweden).
