SBI blocks over six lakh debit cards due to malware security breach

The malware has led to blocking of cards of several SBI accountholders. SBI said fresh cards would be issued to consumers.

BusinessToday.In

Updated Oct 19, 2016 7:04 PM IST

SBI blocks over six lakh debit cards due to malware security breach

Country's largest lender State Bank of India has said it would re-issue around six lakh debit cards to customers after being hit by a malware-related security breach in a non-SBI ATM network.

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"It's a security breach, but not in our banks' systems. Many other banks also have this breach - right now and since a long time," Shiv Kumar Bhasin, SBI's chief technology officer (CTO), told The Times of India, adding that customers who used their cards only at SBI-run ATMs have not been affected by this. "A few ATMs have been affected by a malware. When people use their card on infected switches or ATMs, there is a high probability that their data will be compromised," Bhasin said.

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The malware has led to blocking of cards of several SBI accountholders.

SBI said fresh cards would be issued to consumers.

Currently banks are not required to report to the public any security breach in their network.

Some customers' cards have been blocked, the TOI report, quoted a SBI branch manager in Pune as saying. The manager also asserted that the bank had sent SMSes to the customers regarding the same.

The report quotes several SBI accountholders facing the card blockage issue and states their experiences regarding the same.

In July 2016, there were 20.27 crore active debit cards from SBI, states the RBI website. SBI's associate banks had a count of 4.75 crore active debit cards. The cards hit by the malware comprise about 0.25% of this.

Published on: Oct 19, 2016 6:34 PM IST

SBI blocks over six lakh debit cards due to malware security breach

The malware has led to blocking of cards of several SBI accountholders. SBI said fresh cards would be issued to consumers.

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