ATM XP upgrade is a new reality for many banks and financial institutions. However, upgrading ATMs worldwide has become a problem since many of them are still running on Windows XP without Microsoft support for the OS.
XP reached its support deadline on April 8, which means there will be no security patches beyond this timeframe. The XP end of life deadline might seem a little stiff, but Microsoft needs to sell its newer OS versions Windows 8, 8.1 and the apps made specifically for these operating systems.
For the most part, it doesn't make sense for the Redmond St. software vendor to produce more software or security patches for an OS that is approximately 13 years old.
Alongside PC upgrades, a lot ATMs are yet to be upgraded on a global scale. This will. A.problem. for banks and other institutions and poses serious security risks to customers. Microsoft emphasized in several reports that ATMs still using the older OS could leave cash vending machines exposed to vulnerabilities which have no guarantee of getting fixed. At that stage, there is also a risk of losing important information such as user bank accounts and personal financial data.
The number of ATMs on Windows XP is a lot more than the 16% of PCs which need upgradation.
In March, Seattle-based firm Microsoft said its PC install base for big enterprises in India amounts to approximately 4 million units; 84% have already migrated from Windows XP, first unveiled in October 2001.
The XP is also 3 generations behind the latest OS, Windows 8 launched in October 2012. The most recent version of the XP is Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Microsoft has cut its support service to 'Windows XP' OS from April 8.
"The number of ATMs left on Windows XP are higher than PCs as a percentage. Many more ATMs, probably higher than the 35% computers in banks and financial institutions that are still to be upgraded and these (ATMs) are not included in those 4 million computers," Microsoft India GM (Windows Business) Amrish Goyal said in a statement..
In India, 100,000 ATMs are available to customers and most are operating on Windows XP. The support policy is the same across the board and that means April 8 is the deadline for XP support for international clients as well.
"Indian Banks Association (IBA) chief executive M V Tanksale, however, said, "only old ATMs may face some problem as all the newer machines run on newer platforms. "
"The probability of attacks on such a system may increase and it may be difficult to defend such attacks in the absence of Microsoft support," said the Reserve Bank of India. Analysts say, banks and financial institutions facing higher risk compared to other sectors.
"Banks and financial institutions are slow in upgrading from Windows XP. Private banks a little bit better. They are more equal to the average of the industry, that is around 84%. It is public sector banks and financial institutions that are still lagging," he added. Of the total computers in the banks and financial institutions that use Windows XP
Only 65% have so far upgraded from the OS.
