News

Israeli tech firm to assist Chinese banks with ATM physical security

Primary and secondary sensors will alert FIs to a wide spectrum of physical threats ranging from shaking the machine to attempting to blow it up.

August 19, 2014

Risco, an Israel-based security technology company, has entered into agreements with Chinese banks to equip their ATMs with sensors to monitor the physical state of the machine, according to a report by The Times of Israel.

The article said that Risco has not disclosed the names of the banks nor the exact number of ATMs to have sensors installed, though they did say the latter would be in the "tens of thousands."

Simple sensors will alert if the machine is tipped, shaken, or struck. More sophisticated seismic sensors will monitor for tampering efforts that use drills, sledgehammers, heat and explosives, and other behaviors inconsistent with the ATM's normal range of transactions.

Risco has served the Chinese market for more than a decade, and typically works with high end banks and businesses. "China is an important market for Risco, and we have put a great deal of effort into building our position there, specializing in large projects," Risco VP of marketing Hemi Pinzi told The Times.