Keeping ATMs secure from attacks is a never-ending battle. Just when one area of attack is shut off, criminals discover a different vulnerability. One such vulnerability is Man in the Middle attacks, which can be difficult to detect as they imitate a legitimate transaction. In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper, editor of ATM Marketplace spoke with Levi Daily, chief technology officer at Cook Solutions Group, and Michael Strange, director of technology services at Cook Solutions Group, about how to respond to new ATM security threats like Man in the Middle attacks.

"Criminal organizations and gangs have identified vulnerabilities including weak security protocols and a general lack of awareness around ATMs. As ATMs become more connected and criminal organizations start using more sophisticated tools and techniques, these sorts of attacks will increase," Strange said in an email statement following the podcast.

During this discussion, Strange and Daily gave an in-depth explanation of ATM security topics including:

• What are the most common threats?
• Are there any regions getting hit harder than others?
• How do Man in the Middle attacks work?
• How can a layered defense help prevent these attacks?

You can listen to the podcast in its entirety above.

Despite decreases in bank branch numbers, they have hit a bit of a plateau recently, hovering just shy of 70,000 total in the U.S. In the past several years, there has been a major push to modernize bank branches and turn them into more experiential centers that deliver financial advice rather than simply push transactions.

But how are bank branches doing on that front? How do they score on overall customer experience? This was a topic Bradley Cooper, editor of ATM Marketplace, explored during today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast with Mack Turner, banking expert and consultant at Mack Turner Marketing Consulting and Insights LLC.

During the discussion, Turner covered a number of topics such as:

• Will bank branches see an increase in the near future?
• What are some of the CX issues from 2024 that are carrying over into 2025?
• What's the biggest branch trend?
• How can branches maintain service levels with older customers who are used to traditional banking?
• How can banks empower employees?

Listen to the full podcast episode above.

Cameras are a common and necessary component of ATM and branch security. However, older cameras have issues ranging from poor quality recordings to weak points. In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper, editor of ATM Marketplace spoke with Joseph Parrillo, leader in the security solutions division, and Cody Anderson, implementations manager at Cook Solutions Group about how smart cameras can transform ATM and bank security.

During the conversation, Parrillo and Anderson addresses a number of issues including:

• What are some of the issues with past camera technology?
• How expensive are smart cameras?
• Do these cameras require a DVR or NVR?
• How can they use AI?
• How does built-in analytics improve security?

You can listen to the conversation in its entirety above.