Page 28 - Security Today, August 2017

centrally managed. A VPN management tool allows IT admin- istrators to update configurations, upgrade software and manage certificates remotely. The only alternative is to perform the up- dates manually using a memory stick or CD, which requires giv- ing someone physical access to every machine. Unfortunately, this can give those with criminal intent an opportunity to gain access to the machine, inject malicious software or attach a device inside the machine and take control over it.
High availability. Connections between ATMs located in the branch offices of banks or in retail stores and the main network must never break down. This means high network availability provided by a professional VPN system supported by several backup systems.
IoT and M2M Security
In summary, global ATM networks are fast becoming machine- to-machine environments. As the Internet of Things starts to per- meate every aspect of business, the need to protect the communi- cations of machines both new and old is becoming more urgent. The age of some traditional ATMs and the primitive nature of the software they run on leaves additional security loopholes for cybercriminals to exploit.
Globally, cybercriminals have successfully carried out mul- tiple remote hacks on ATMs, prompting the FBI to warn Ameri-
can banks to be on the lookout for similar attacks. Heists like these prove that poor remote connectivity can ultimately result in the loss of billions of dollars as well as identity theft and fraud.
The deployment of VPNs, coupled with prompt patching of every server on the network, is essential to secure interactions be- tween thousands of ATMs communicating with their data cen- ters. Comprehensive VPN software solutions fit easily into exist- ing infrastructure and require no additional hardware. Moreover, data traffic is secured at the device itself so that no unencrypted traffic ever leaves the endpoint.
Financial institutions can stay protected by ensuring every device accessing their network has up-to-date firmware and by implementing network security technologies, such as intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and firewalls, within an in-depth de- fense framework to minimize potential attack vectors.
As analysts predict the number of M2M connected devices will grow from 12 billion to 50 billion by 2020, properly securing connections is urgent. By leveraging a VPN, endpoint devices can communicate through a secure encrypted tunnel, which makes it nearly impossible for an attacker to access an IoT device and breach a financial network.
Julian Weinberger is director of systems engineering for NCP Engineering.
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