Security experts warn that all cash machines need to be upgraded as soon as possible

Jun 10, 2014 20:33 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows XP on April 8, but plenty of devices out there are still running it, even though it's pretty clear that such a decision is quite risky for everyone.

In Mexico alone, 95 percent of the ATMs are running Windows XP, security experts warn, calling for banks to upgrade the cash machines as soon as possible. And still, it's not clear whether the found Windows XP ATMs are running the Embedded version or the desktop build which is no longer supported by Microsoft.

“The problem is that to update traditional ATMs, the person must physically go and install the new software, which permits these people to install any type of malware,” José Manuel González Barragán, marketing director of Moneta Technologies, a technology and e-banking consultancy firm, was quoted as saying by BNamericas.

Worldwide, things are very similar. A report that came out a couple of months ago revealed that more than 90 percent of the cash machines worldwide were still running Windows XP, even though Microsoft was making the necessary adjustments to pull the plug on its old OS version.

In the meantime, several large companies have already started the upgrade process, but this could take a while in many cases, pretty much because it also involves hardware and other improvements that turn the entire transition into a much more expensive move.