Experts Worry after Worm Hits ATMs

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Experts Worry after Worm Hits ATMs

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1003259.asp?0cv=CB20

 

Automatic teller machines at two banks running Microsoftís popular Windows

software were infected by a computer virus in August, the maker of the

machines said on Monday. The ATM infections, first reported by

SecurityFocus.com, are believed to be the first of a computer virus wiggling

directly onto cash machines. " I'm a lot more worried about my money than I

was before this. " — JOHN PESCATORE. Gartner COMPUTER SECURITY EXPERTS

predicted more problems to come as Windows migrates to critical systems

consumers rely on. An unknown number of ATMs running Windows XP Embedded

were shut down during the spread of the so-called “Nachi” worm, said

officials at Diebold Inc., which made the ATMs and refused to name the

customers affected. The Nachi worm, also called “Welchia,” was written to

clean up after the MSBlast, or Blaster, worm. Instead it crippled or

congested networks around the world, including the check-in system at Air

Canada. Both worms spread through a hole in Windows XP, 2000, NT and Server

2003. In January, the SQL Slammer worm led to technical problems that

temporarily kept Bank of America Corp.’s customers from their cash, but did

not directly cause the ATM outage. “It’s a harbinger of things to come,”

said Bruce Schneier, chief technical officer of network monitoring firm

Counterpane Internet Security.