NCR and academics go hacking

Hacking threats to ATMs are an ever-present reality and have prompted establishment of a unique relationship between US self service hardware manufacturer NCR Corporation and the University of Abertay (UoA) in Dundee, Scotland.According to NCR the relationship with UoA has led to development of the worlds leading corporate-academic alliance devoted to uncovering and addressing criminal hacking threats posed to ATMs.NCR stressed that rather than reacting to threats as they arise, the security intelligence gained and adopted between itself and the UoA through an ethical hacking programme is designed to stop would-be hackers and viruses before crimes occur.The ethical hacking programme is approved and partially-funded through the UKs Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) which has just awarded the second contract to the joint venture between the UoA and NCR.The second contract approved through the KTP will focus on personal authentication measures required to gain access to ATMs.The critical knowledge of illicit access to ATMs is an ongoing and growing threat to many ATM users, noted NCR.NCRs partnership with the UoA has led to the UoAs introduction of an ethical hacking programme offering BSC and MSC degrees in ethical hacking.The support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnership and NCR has enabled the university to develop world-leading research and education that have a significant impact on global security, said Colin McLean, ethical hacking programme tutor at the UoAs school of computing and creative technologies