Would you like cash with your virus?
Jeez, it keeps getting better and better. I saw this link on MacNN's front page and read the article.Windows powering ATMs. Does this scare anyone else?
Personally, I've left MS software out of concern for the security of my data. While I have no control over what companies that I do business with run on their machines, I'd like to think that most of the stuff they use is relatively secure and away from malicious hands. I'm not too happy about this prospect.
Their justification for doing this is that Windows is "open." yeah, to hackers and crackers and worms. It seems like going to open-source solutions would be better for their needs, but what do I know? I'm a piddly Mac user...
If I were a bank that DIDN'T use windows software in my ATMs I'd advertise the hell out of that security feature. But that's just me...
Personally, I've left MS software out of concern for the security of my data. While I have no control over what companies that I do business with run on their machines, I'd like to think that most of the stuff they use is relatively secure and away from malicious hands. I'm not too happy about this prospect.
Their justification for doing this is that Windows is "open." yeah, to hackers and crackers and worms. It seems like going to open-source solutions would be better for their needs, but what do I know? I'm a piddly Mac user...

If I were a bank that DIDN'T use windows software in my ATMs I'd advertise the hell out of that security feature. But that's just me...
Comments
i didn't realize OS/2 was used any place with regularity any more.
although i feel a hell of a lot less safe now than before. especially since i see ATM's contacting banks via phone lines all the time. how hard could it be to tap into that if they were running windows?
2) Why do they consider Windows an "open" platform? It's the most closed platform you can get!
The articel did say it was a striped down version of windows. Lots (not all) of the bugs/virus/worms/macros rely on TCP/IP and a vulnerability in a second program (like outlook) or add-ons (UPNP). I imagine, after years and years of service, most bugs would be found and the OS has been stabilized which is probably why they are not upgrading to newer versions with new bugs.
[/Devil's advocate]
*Shudder*
http://www.totse.com/en/hack/hack_attack/atmhack.html
I like google.
Originally posted by alcimedes
to me the most interesting part of that when i read it was that current TAM's use OS/2.
i didn't realize OS/2 was used any place with regularity any more.
although i feel a hell of a lot less safe now than before. especially since i see ATM's contacting banks via phone lines all the time. how hard could it be to tap into that if they were running windows?
OS/2 is still widely used in the banking industry. IBM is a huge banking vendor. when i used to work for IBM global services many major banks ran their transaction servers on OS/2. I remember Royal Bank (in canada) would buy Dell hardware but had service adn support through ibm so we would reformat the dell servers and put OS/2 on them.
if it aint broke dont fix it. not a lot of viruses targeting OS/2 these days!
Originally posted by alcimedes
i didn't realize OS/2 was used any place with regularity any more.
The airline I flew to Romania with used OS/2 at their ticket window. That scared me more than the airplane.
Originally posted by Ebby
*Shudder*
http://www.totse.com/en/hack/hack_attack/atmhack.html
I like google.