Diebold Advances Fight Against ATM Card Skimming With Theft-Prevention Technology

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While criminals once targeted financial institutions for their currency, today's advanced technologies have made consumer data a far more desirable payoff. In its continuous effort to remain vigilant in the fight against theft at the automated teller machine (ATM), Diebold, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is introducing a re-engineered bezel and the Opteva® BezelSentry(SM) Service to not only detect skimming activity, but to help prevent it.

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The company has re-engineered its Opteva ATM hardware to support anti-skimming efforts with a new design for the bezel – the portion of the ATM containing the card slot and the surrounding area. The re-engineered bezel incorporates geometric fascia alterations, making it more difficult for perpetrators to attach a skimmer to its surface and is designed to eliminate the market inventory of card skimmers. The re-engineered bezel helps protect the integrity of the bezel during removal attacks and features a removal switch that will send an alarm to the alarm system notifying the financial institution of any attempt to remove the bezel.

In addition to the re-engineered card-reader bezel, Diebold is now offering the industry's first interchangeable bezel service. Similar to a subscription service, the Opteva BezelSentry Service helps financial institutions stay one step ahead of would-be perpetrators by delivering pre-scheduled or emergency bezel changes to an individual ATM or an entire fleet.

"As skimming attempts continue to increase, the interchangeable bezel is an extremely valuable tool within our multi-layered security approach," said W. Curt Tiettmeyer, vice president, ATM administration, Fifth Third Bank. "It provides us with an innovative solution to mitigate card skimming and enhance protection of the ATM channel."

All shipped Diebold Opteva ATMs will be equipped with the new interchangeable bezel design. Diebold has been shipping terminals equipped with the new interchangeable bezel design since December 2010. Previously shipped Opteva terminals can be retrofitted with the re-engineered bezel. Future bezel replacements will be available with minimal impact on ATM uptime. The bezel upgrades are available across the global market for all motorized and dip card reader ATMs.

"The Opteva BezelSentry Service takes Diebold's suite of anti-skimming solutions to a completely new level," said Chuck Somers, vice president, ATM security and systems, Diebold. "We've helped financial institutions reduce ATM fraud for years by using multiple layers of technology to protect ATMs. By pushing the industry forward from detection to prevention, we're leading the way to protect consumers from ever having to experience ATM data theft in the first place."

The re-engineered bezel and the Opteva BezelSentry Service are just two components of Diebold's comprehensive ATM security portfolio. In support of its commitment to a multi-layered ATM security approach, Diebold offers a robust ATM Security Protection Suite that consists of anti-skimming packages and an industry-leading monitoring service. The suite offers five levels of protection to proactively guard against increasingly sophisticated card-skimming attacks.

About Diebold

Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services. Diebold employs more than 16,000 associates with representation in nearly 90 countries worldwide and is headquartered in the Canton, Ohio region, USA. Diebold is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DBD.' For more information, visit the company's website at www.diebold.com.

SOURCE Diebold, Incorporated