The biggest evergreen issue in the ATM industry is of course security. Criminals are always ready with innovative methods to steal cash from ATMs faster than the industry can put up protective barriers.

This is true of both the ATM hardware and software. In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper spoke with Kit Patterson, a senior software architecture and security expert at KAL ATM Software to get an overhead view of current theft trends and ways to combat them.

One new method that Patterson discussed was the relay attack. In this attack, one device is compromised is relays card data to another machine, which can be used to steal money from a victim.

"The basic story is they use two machines. They attack two machines in parallel. They wait until a victim puts a card into that victim ATM or ticket machine or anything where a card is being used. They take over that card and they relay information from that card to the cash out machine."

He said that while this attack is difficult to pull off, it can also be challenging to detect and would require monitoring for certain types of unusual activity. For example, the software could detect that the card reader itself would take longer to transmit data in a relay attack than in a normal transaction, which should put up a red flag.

Patterson also said that this relay attack is also taking place with mobile wallet fraud, where attackers are able to steal the victim's mobile wallet and relay that information to another actor who will get the cash from an ATM.

He emphasized that criminals are willing to use as many methods as possible as "they don't follow the rules."

To respond to these threats, Patterson pointed to the importance of holistic efforts and not just viewing security as "ticking boxes."

Check out the full interview above and hear Patteron's thoughts on if AI is ready to transform ATM security.

It's no secret that banks are renegotiating how they manage branches. Many are scaling back the number of branches, but others are also transforming the spaces with technology such as digital signage.

According to research from Markets.US, the digital signage banking market is expected to grow to $9.4 billion by 2034, up from $3.5 billion in 2024. The in-branch segment currently holds 56.8% of the market share as well.

In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper, editor and podcast host, is joined by Joseph Parrillo, director of security solutions and Scott Smith, VP of strategic solutions at Cook Solutions to discuss how banks are using digital signage today and what makes it a game changer.

For example, banks are using digital signage not just inside the branch but in the drive-thru lane. By replacing legacy signage with a display, they are providing more information to customers and an overall improved banking experience.

This extends to the ATM and ITM screens as well, as Smith discussed how some banks are partnering with local businesses to give out their coupon QR codes to customers on the displays, providing an intriguing marketing opportunity.

Listen to the full podcast discussion above.

Between evolving customer expectations and pressure from other financial providers, community banks have struggled to maintain relevance in recent years.

In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience Podcast, Bradley Cooper, editor of ATM Marketplace, spoke with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of Shikatanai Lacroix Design and Marbue Brown, founder of the Customer Obsession Advantage and a former banker about how community banking is changing

When looking at challenges community banks face, Lacroix spoke about increased competition

"There's a lot more competition today with fintechs and consolidation," he shared in the podcast.

Brown agreed, stating many national banks are encroaching on community banks territory through a variety of activities even sponsoring local events.

"The natural advantage community banks have is being erased," Brown said.

The statement points to the power of community banking in general. Lacroix said one of the primary drivers of growth in banks is being able to provide relevant advice and have a strong local presence, whereas simply providing good products reduces loss.

Brown and Lacroix also discussed a number of topics related to community banking including:

• How are big banks coming into community banking spaces?
• How can employees train using AI?
• How can financial advice be credible?
• What role does community involvement play?
• What does Gen Z want from a branch?
• What role should the teller take?

Listen to the conversation in full above.