Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and transaction terminal is disclosed. The method comprises capturing, by an imaging device, a first image of an internal region of an apparent peripheral device of the transaction terminal, calculating, by a processor of a transaction terminal, a first amount of change between the first image and a baseline image of the internal region, capturing, by the imaging device, at least one further image of the internal region, for each further image, calculating, by the processor, a second amount of change between the further image and a respective baseline image of the internal region, and when at least two consecutive values of the first and/or second amount of change are below a predefined value, determining that the imaging device is in a dummy peripheral device to prevent detection of a foreign object in an active peripheral device of the transaction terminal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and transaction terminal is disclosed. The method comprises capturing, by an imaging device of a peripheral device of a transaction terminal, a first image of an internal region of the peripheral device, calculating, by a processor of the transaction terminal, a difference between first pixel values associated with pixels of the first image and second pixel values associated with corresponding pixels of a baseline image of the internal region, thereby obtaining a plurality of difference values, and when more than a predetermined number of the plurality of difference values exceed a first predetermined threshold in at least one region of interest associated with the internal region, determining, by the processor, that a foreign object is present in the peripheral device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and transaction terminal is disclosed. The method comprises capturing, by an imaging device, a first image of an internal region of an apparent peripheral device of the transaction terminal, calculating, by a processor of a transaction terminal, a first amount of change between the first image and a baseline image of the internal region, capturing, by the imaging device, at least one further image of the internal region, for each further image, calculating, by the processor, a second amount of change between the further image and a respective baseline image of the internal region, and when at least two consecutive values of the first and/or second amount of change are below a predefined value, determining that the imaging device is in a dummy peripheral device to prevent detection of a foreign object in an active peripheral device of the transaction terminal.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A system and method is described for detecting a foreign object such as a skimmer placed adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, as used in automatic teller machines and gas pumps. At least two sensors are mounted adjacent to the bezel. Each sensor provides a signal that varies when a skimmer is mounted adjacent to the bezel. A controller receive measurement signals from the sensors, and generates an alarm signal when the measurement signals differ from associated predetermined baseline signals by at least associated predetermined thresholds. The alarm signal indicates that a foreign object has been detected adjacent he bezel. The sensors may be capacitive, time of flight, spectral, radar, and/or inductive. The capacitive sensors may include three or more plates, forming multiple capacitive pairs, each capacitive pair effectively forming a separate sensor.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A card reader's motorized transport is controlled by firmware of the reader so as to control a distance that any card can be pulled into the reader during a transaction on a host device. The distance is sufficient enough to allow an embedded chip on the card to be read by a chip read interface but is insufficient to be read by a magnetic read interface. Furthermore, the entire length of the card is prevented from completely passing over the magnetic read interface during the transaction such that any skimmer placed within the reader is physically unable to read the magnetic card information from the magnetic strip of the card. In an embodiment, the firmware is configured to permit only chips from the cards to be read for transactions or configured to turn off chip only reading by permitting both chip reads and magnetic strip reads for each transaction.

Abstract: A system and method is described for detecting a foreign object such as a skimmer placed adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, as used in automatic teller machines and gas pumps. At least two sensors are mounted adjacent to the bezel. Each sensor provides a signal that varies when a skimmer is mounted adjacent to the bezel. A controller receive measurement signals from the sensors, and generates an alarm signal when the measurement signals differ from associated predetermined baseline signals by at least associated predetermined thresholds. The alarm signal indicates that a foreign object has been detected adjacent the bezel. The sensors may be capacitive, time of flight, spectral, radar, and/or inductive. The capacitive sensors may include three or more plates, forming multiple capacitive pairs, each capacitive pair effectively forming a separate sensor.

Abstract: A system and method is described for detecting a foreign object such as a skimmer placed adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, as used in automatic teller machines and gas pumps. At least two sensors are mounted adjacent to the bezel. Each sensor provides a signal that varies when a skimmer is mounted adjacent to the bezel. A controller receive measurement signals from the sensors, and generates an alarm signal when the measurement signals differ from associated predetermined baseline signals by at least associated predetermined thresholds. The alarm signal indicates that a foreign object has been detected adjacent he bezel. The sensors may be capacitive, time of flight, spectral, radar, and/or inductive. The capacitive sensors may include three or more plates, forming multiple capacitive pairs, each capacitive pair effectively forming a separate sensor.

Abstract: A system and method is described for detecting a foreign object such as a skimmer placed adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, as used in automatic teller machines and gas pumps. At least two sensors are mounted adjacent to the bezel. Each sensor provides a signal that varies when a skimmer is mounted adjacent to the bezel. A controller receive measurement signals from the sensors, and generates an alarm signal when the measurement signals differ from associated predetermined baseline signals by at least associated predetermined thresholds. The alarm signal indicates that a foreign object has been detected adjacent the bezel. The sensors may be capacitive, time of flight, spectral, radar, and/or inductive. The capacitive sensors may include three or more plates, forming multiple capacitive pairs, each capacitive pair effectively forming a separate sensor.

Abstract: Various embodiments include composite security interconnect devices and methods. One method embodiment that may be performed by a composite security interconnect device, also referred to herein as a security controller, includes decrypting a first encrypted input received from a peripheral device with a first encryption key to obtain clear text. The first encryption key may be an encryption key established between the security controller and the peripheral device. The method further includes encrypting the clear text with a second encryption key to obtain second encrypted input, the second encryption key being a key of an encryption key pair established with a transaction processing host.

Abstract: An issue tracking and rectification system includes a workflow server; a workflow database connected to the workflow server; and a first mobile electronic device connected to the workflow server via a network, wherein the first electronic device is configured to capture an image of a task subject, determine a location of the task subject and generate an issue log using the image and location, and further wherein the first electronic device is configured to generate a work order from the issue log and transmit the work order to the workflow server over the network, whereby the workflow server commences a workflow to attend to the task subject.

Abstract: A method of detecting interference with a fraud prevention transmitter on a self-service terminal is described. The method comprises: detecting presentation of a card at a card reader; attempting to detect a customer while the card is presented; and triggering an alarm event if the customer is not detected while the card is presented on a predetermined number of occasions.

Abstract: An Operating-System (OS) independent peripheral API is provided to applications processing in an application OS. The API communicates with a peripheral OS that includes device drivers for peripherals. Requests for accessing the peripherals are made through the API of the application OS but access and control of the peripherals are maintained through the device drivers of the peripheral OS.

Abstract: An Operating-System (OS) independent peripheral API is provided to applications processing in an application OS. The API communicates with a peripheral OS that includes device drivers for peripherals. Requests for accessing the peripherals are made through the API of the application OS but access and control of the peripherals are maintained through the device drivers of the peripheral OS.

Abstract: A card reader guide for use in a fascia of a self-service terminal is described. The card reader guide defines a card reader aperture extending in a first direction through which a customer may insert a data card. The card reader guide also comprises: a first protrusion extending (i) along part of the card reader aperture through which a magnetic stripe of the card passes, and (ii) towards the customer, wherein the first protrusion defines a stripe path in registration with the magnetic stripe of the card as the card is inserted by the customer; a second protrusion, opposite to, and aligned with, the first protrusion, and extending (i) along the part of the card reader aperture through which the magnetic stripe of the card passes, and (ii) towards the customer; and a magnetic reader detector located in the first protrusion at the stripe path.