How To Steal ATM PINs With a Thermal Camera

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @03:24AM from the i-see-what-you-did-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers from UCSD have demonstrated how thermal imagery cameras can be used to steal customers' PINs (PDF) when you withdraw cash from ATMs. Their paper, entitled 'Heat of the Moment: Characterizing the Efficacy of Thermal Camera-Based Attacks', (PDF) discovered that plastic PIN pads were the best for retaining heat signatures showing which numbers (and in which order) were used by bank customers. Fortunately the methodology does not appear to have been used by criminals yet, but a third of people surveyed admit that they do not check ATMs for tampering before withdrawing cash."

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Re:Now get back in line. by The+Moof · 2011-08-17 03:33 · Score: 5, Insightful

Not to mention that the average person likely has no idea what a card skimmer looks like when compared to the card reader on an ATM.
Easy to Avoid by tucara · 2011-08-17 03:35 · Score: 5, Funny

Just make sure you add a bunch of heat on all the number keys before you leave to mess up their analysis. I recommend urinating on the keypad to get a good even distribution.