NCR's Ethical Hacking Curruculum

NCR stays ahead of criminals through ethical hacking curriculum

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

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

Working with the University of Abertay Dundeein Dundee, Scotland, NCR has developed the world’s leadingcorporate-academic alliance devoted to uncovering and addressingcriminal hacking threats posed to ATMs.  Rather than reacting to knownthreats as they arise, the security intelligence gained and adoptedbetween 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 Dundeeand NCR Labs, the advanced development arm of NCR. The aim of theprogram is to ensure that consumer trust in self-service is notcompromised by criminal actions involving ATMs.

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

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

“The support from the Knowledge TransferPartnership and NCR has enabled the university to develop world-leadingresearch and education that have a significant impact on globalsecurity,” said Colin McLean, program tutor, school of computing andcreative technologies, University of Abertay Dundee. “We’ve enjoyed building a relationship with NCR and take pride in thecontributions these students have made in preventing unlawful criminalthreats.”

The success from NCR’s partnership with the University of Abertayhas led to notable achievements for both parties. The university hassince 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 crimeprevention into its research and development to provide secure ATMsolutions to financial institutions.

All program proposals receive approval through theKnowledge Transfer Partnership, which was designed to capitalize on thewide-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 isself-contained within the ATM, helping mitigate the risk of fraudulentconnection of unauthorized USB devices.

  • Fraudulent Device Inhibitor (FDI) is an externalilluminated hardware feature or kit that makes it difficult forcriminals to attach foreign devices on or around an NCR ATM card reader.

  • Intelligent Fraud Detection (IFD) is a uniqueapproach to countering ATM fraud. Designed to be flexible, NCR IFD candetect a variety of fraudulent devices that criminals may attempt toadd to the ATM fascia. The deployer receives an instant alert as soonas a fraudulent device has been added to the ATM, even before any fraudhas taken place.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a global technology company leadinghow the world connects, interacts and transacts with business. NCR’sassisted- and self-service solutions and comprehensive support servicesaddress the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare,hospitality, entertainment, gaming and public sector organizations inmore than 100 countries.  NCR (www.ncr.com) is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.
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NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

News Media Contact
Jeff Dudash
NCR Corporation
919.435.6976
jeff.dudash@ncr.com


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