NCR stays ahead of criminals through ethical hacking curriculum

Partnership with University of Abertay Dundee leads to proactive global security solutions for ATMs

August 6, 2009

DULUTH, Ga. – NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), the global leader in ATMs, is staying ahead of criminal hacking threats to ATMs by having academia help uncover potential threats first.

Working with the University of Abertay Dundee in Dundee, Scotland, NCR has developed the world’s leading corporate-academic alliance devoted to uncovering and addressing criminal hacking threats posed to ATMs.  Rather than reacting to known threats as they arise, the security intelligence gained and adopted between NCR and the University of Abertay through the ‘Ethical Hacking’ program is designed to stop would-be hackers and viruses before crimes occur.

Approved and partially-funded through the United Kingdom ’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), the awarded contracts represent a joint venture between the University of Abertay Dundee and NCR Labs, the advanced development arm of NCR. The aim of the program is to ensure that consumer trust in self-service is not compromised by criminal actions involving ATMs.

The current contract, the second to be approved through the KTP, focuses on personal authentication measures required to gain access to ATMs. The critical knowledge of illicit access to ATMs is an ongoing and growing threat to many ATM users.

“NCR is committed to holding its place as the industry leader in defending the integrity of the ATM channel for those who place their financial trust in us,” said Mark Grossi, head of NCR Labs. “This relationship is one of the ways NCR stays at the forefront of technology in our proactive fight against ATM crime.”

“The support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnership and NCR has enabled the university to develop world-leading research and education that have a significant impact on global security,” said Colin McLean, program tutor, school of computing and creative technologies, University of Abertay Dundee . “We’ve enjoyed building a relationship with NCR and take pride in the contributions these students have made in preventing unlawful criminal threats.”

The success from NCR’s partnership with the University of Abertay has led to notable achievements for both parties. The university has since implemented an ethical hacking program and offers two degrees – Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Ethical Hacking. Additionally, NCR has incorporated the program’s findings on crime prevention into its research and development to provide secure ATM solutions to financial institutions.

All program proposals receive approval through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, which was designed to capitalize on the wide-ranging knowledge, technology and skills found within the U.K. Each program is funded in part by the Technology Strategy Board and 17 other funding organizations.

NCR is a leading provider of hardware and software security solutions for ATMs.  Among NCR’s ATM security portfolio:

• NCR has sold more than 50,000 licenses of Solidcore for APTRA™, the only proven security solution to preserve system integrity and prevent malware on ATMs. 
• NCR’s latest family of ATMs, NCR SelfServ, is the first to introduce a protected USB architecture that is self-contained within the ATM, helping mitigate the risk of fraudulent connection of unauthorized USB devices.
• Fraudulent Device Inhibitor (FDI) is an external illuminated hardware feature or kit that makes it difficult for criminals to attach foreign devices on or around an NCR ATM card reader.
• Intelligent Fraud Detection (IFD) is a unique approach to countering ATM fraud. Designed to be flexible, NCR IFD can detect a variety of fraudulent devices that criminals may attempt to add to the ATM fascia. The deployer receives an instant alert as soon as a fraudulent device has been added to the ATM, even before any fraud has taken place.

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a global technology company leading how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business. NCR’s assisted- and self-service solutions and comprehensive support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, gaming and public sector organizations in more than 100 countries.  NCR (www.ncr.com) is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

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Jeff Dudash

NCR Corporation

919.435.6976

jeff.dudash@ncr.com