News

Tranax intros solution to stop unauthorized ATM access

December 17, 2006

FREMONT, Calif. - Tranax Technologies Inc. announced Dec. 16 the launch of its new software solution designed to help prevent unauthorized access to Tranax ATM terminals and operator menus.

The new firmware, when loaded onto a Tranax ATM, requires that the enduser change the default master password before the ATM can be brought into service. The software solution also causes any alteration of cash-denomination settings to erase the ATM's master keys.

The software was developed to stop someone from illegally changing an ATM's denomination values.

"Raising awareness of ATM security, meeting or exceeding the industry standard practices, is very important to Tranax," said John MacDougall, Tranax's product manager for retail ATM products. "We're trying to make it very inconvenient for someone to perpetrate fraud."

In August, a man walked into a Virginia Beach, Va., gas station and reprogrammed a Tranax Mini-Bank 1500 ATM to dispense twenties instead of fives. He then used a prepaid card to withdraw an undisclosed amount of cash. (Read also, Tranax, ATM industry react to ATM compromise.)