Security has top priority at Banco de Chile – the second largest financial institution in the Chilean banking market, with a strong focus on retail banking. The bank is currently replacing its automated teller machines with secure systems from Wincor Nixdorf, and as part of this process, it has now ordered another 500 Cineo ATMs.
In Chile, automated teller machines used to be popular targets for criminal attacks. In addition to stealing entire machines in ram raids, criminals increasingly turned to blowing them up on site. This led the government to issue a decree in 2013 that gave ATM operators five years to replace their machines, step by step, with secure systems. Wincor Nixdorf’s concept has been a very convincing answer to this requirement: it encompasses HD video surveillance of the surroundings, more cameras in the ATMs to monitor the customer panel and, above all, safes that are particularly resistant to gas explosions and other physical attacks.
Since this decree – Decreto 222 – was issued, Banco de Chile has already installed over 550 of Wincor Nixdorf’s extra-secure ATMs. Thieves made three attempts to blow up the new systems with gas last year, only to discover that this method of attack is pointless. The bank needed no other proof that it was investing in the most secure solution. “It’s not primarily about protecting the cash in the systems, but preventing potential collateral damage from explosions. The security of our customers and staff has top priority for us,” said Osvaldo René González García, Director Security and Risk Prevention, of Banco de Chile.
Wincor Nixdorf’s service organization maintains the installed base of systems and will take on maintenance for the new ones as well.