We’ve been hearing lately from our Clients and other financial institutions that ATMs are still a major concern. Attackers have not stopped attempting to get into these little marvels of technology that protect and dispense our money.

For most community banks and credit unions, ATMs are a critical piece of customer service. They’re expected to just work—rain, shine, weekends, holidays. But beneath that convenience lies a real set of risks that often don’t get the attention they deserve.

ATM security isn’t just about preventing someone from jiggling the card reader or watching over someone’s shoulder. It’s about protecting an endpoint that literally handles cash, touches your core systems, and is often located outside your physical perimeter. That’s a risky combination.

The ATM: A Vulnerable Front Line

Threat actors know that ATMs can be soft targets. We’ve seen everything from skimming devices and jackpotting malware to physical smash-and-grab attacks. And the reality is, many small institutions still rely on default configurations, outdated operating systems, or insufficient logging and monitoring. It’s not always a question of negligence—it’s often a question of bandwidth and expertise.

What makes this even trickier is that the attack surface is broad. Here are just a few angles attackers can exploit:

• Physical theft or tampering
• Network-level intrusions
• OS vulnerabilities or unpatched ATM software
•  Insecure remote access or vendor connections
• Weak access controls for administrative functions

And while no one wants to think about worst-case scenarios, we’ve seen cases where one compromised ATM provided a foothold into a broader network. That’s a nightmare scenario for any institution, especially one operating with limited IT resources.

Getting Ahead of the Risk

So how do you manage it all without getting overwhelmed?

You start by getting organized. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive ATM Best Practices & Hardening Checklist—a practical tool designed specifically for community financial institutions. It covers the basics, the advanced, and the often-overlooked, across areas like:

• Physical security
• Network segmentation
• OS and software hardening
• Access control
• Vendor management
• Compliance alignment

We’ve even included additions like disk encryption, secure boot, and vendor access logging—things that are quickly becoming best practices, not just “nice-to-haves.”

This Isn’t Just IT’s Problem

ATM security isn’t only a technical issue—it’s a business risk. It touches compliance, customer trust, operations, and reputation. If you’re an executive, a compliance officer, or even frontline staff, it’s worth taking 30 minutes to review the checklist and ask: “How do we stack up?”

Even better: treat it as a discussion tool. Pull in your operations, IT, and vendor management folks. Make it a living document. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.

Let’s Secure What Matters

In the world of cybersecurity, layered defense is everything. And for community institutions, where every dollar and relationship matters, it pays to get proactive before a bad actor forces your hand.

Download the checklist, talk with your team, and let’s keep your ATMs—and your institution—out of the headlines.