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.

Despite the rise of digital payments, checks remain a valid form of payment, especially for businesses and individuals. With mobile deposit and ATM deposits, it's more convenient than ever to deposit a check. However, this brings with it a risk for fraud. In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper spoke with Scott Fieber, chief strategy officer at Cook Solutions Group and Austin Smith, director of product development at Cook Solutions Group about how to prevent check imaging fraud without harming the customer experience.

In many cases, this topic is a balancing act for banks. They need to provide funds for deposited checks in a reasonable time frame, but they also have to be aware of individuals attempting to commit fraud by withdrawing cash before a check bounces.

During the podcast, Smith and Fieber discussed issues surrounding checks in detail include:

• Are ATMs seeing in an increase in check deposits?
• What are some of the ways people commit check fraud with ATM check deposits?
• How is Cook Solutions Group involved in check imaging?
• How can banks keep up with customer demands for funds availability while still preventing fraud?
• What are ways AI can help?

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.

In an era of increasing ATM thefts and bank initiatives to improve employee and customer experience, it's more important than ever for bank branches to implement safety and security plans. In today's episode of the Bank Customer Experience podcast, Bradley Cooper, podcast host, spoke with Felix Nater, security expert and owner of Nater Associates LTD, about how banks can successfully implement safety plans.

Nater discussed how security is top of mind for branches and other businesses but seldom implemented successfully. This is due in part to employees viewing security as incidental to their jobs, as they are not security experts.

He offered guidance on topics such as:

• What are branches doing right and wrong about branch safety?
• How can banks help customers feel secure when using an outdoor ATM?
• How can banks help employees feel safe?
• How can banks and businesses empower employees on security and safety protocols.
• How can banks reinforce security lessons.
• What about employee conflicts?

Listen to the podcast in its entirety above.