Banks Scramble To Update ATMs Due To Loss Of Tech Support
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Banks are racing to upgrade their ATMs before they become prime targets for hackers. It all has to do with Windows XP.
An estimated 95-percent of American bank ATMs run on that operating system, but Microsoft is killing off tech support for it on April 8th, 2014.
That means Microsoft won't issue security updates for Windows XP, leaving those ATMs vulnerable to new kinds of cyberattacks.
Now banks are working to replace their ATMs.
However, some banks are cutting special deals with Microsoft to extend their security support. JPMorgan bought a one-year extension of service and plans to start upgrading to Windows 7 at Chase banks in July. Citibank and Wells Fargo said they're also upgrading ATMs, but gave no details.
An estimated 200-thousand ATMs in the United States run on Windows XP.