ATM heist: EnStage is 2nd Indian firm hit by data breach

EnStage spokesperson confirmed the development and added that the company has launched an independent investigation into the matter

After ElectraCard Systems, it has emerged that Bangalore-based EnStage is the another Indian company whose data security was breached in the $45-million global ATM heist.

 

Like the Pune-headquartered ElectraCard Systems, EnStage also specialises in processing payment transactions and counts Bank of Muscat, one of the two affected banks in the fraud, as its clients.

 

When contacted, a spokesperson for EnStage confirmed the development and added that the company has launched an independent investigation into the matter.

 

"One of our customers was affected by the crime. EnStage is deeply committed to information security, and we will continue to take all reasonable measures to ensure our networks are secured from criminal actors," the spokesperson said today.

 

The company, promoted by Govind Setlur, has hired an independent security experts "to analyze the intrusion" and "recommend enhancements to its information security infrastructure", the spokesperson said.

 

It has also implemented additional monitoring capabilities, the spokesperson said.

 

An international criminal gang made two coordinated hits on ATMs around the world in matter of hours recently, withdrawing $5 million on December 21 last year and another $40 million on February 19 this year.

 

According to banks and investigators, the gang made large cash withdrawals after hacking into Indian and US credit card processing companies to raise the balances and withdrawal limits on MasterCard prepaid debit cards.

 

According to a report, hackers broke into the systems of the two Indian companies that handled prepaid cards for two Middle Eastern banks -- Bank of Muscat and RakBank. Bank of Muscat reported in February that it had to make a 15 million Rial or $39 million loss provisioning due to the fraud.