Alert! ATM virus attack : 3.2 million debit cards compromised

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If you are a debit card user, it is an alert for you. Your debit card may be under ATM virus attack.There are 32 lakh debit cards in under threat. Banks may give instruction to change their pin or their Debit card.

Banks have advised debit card users to change their PIN no due to ATM virus attack

About 0.25% debit cards of India have been blocked. According to sources, some debit card users have used their cards at some ATM virus-infected machines. Shiv Kumar Bhasin, chief technology officer at SBI said, These ATMs were white label ATMs operated by Hitachi payment services.

Especially SBI, ICICI, Yes Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank debit card users  are coming under threat with leakage of financial data. State Bank of India is blocking 3.2 million debit cards and most banks may ask you to either change your card or password. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other investigating bank agencies are looking into this matter.

What is behind the security breach in India?

In the past 3-4 days, people saw some unidentified and suspicious transactions at some ATMs. There is ATM virus or malware infection at Hitachi Payments Services. HPS is one of the Payments Services companies that manages Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) services  in India. An authorized person of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) which is an umbrellaorganization for all retail payment systems said the breach began a month ago.

He further announced that the error has nothing to do with banks, adding that the malware has been detected and corrective measures taken. Some banks said customers complained to them that some unidentified and suspicious transactions has happened with their international debit cards in China.

How to protect your financial data from being stolen?

Most banks have issued these advisories to customer:

1. Change your card PIN no.
2. Do not your use other bank’s ATMs.Try to use your ATM card only in your bank.
3. Do not share your PIN, keep it a secret.
4. Do not give your debit card PIN no to anyone over the phone.
5. Avoid to open emails of financial information.
6. Banks such as the SBI have already done a process of replacing over five lakh debit cards.

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