It is the first time security guidelines for both types of ATMs – bank branch ATMs and the more free-standing retail ATMs – have been incorporated into a single document.

This milestone follows the publication of GASA's international cardholder security tips last year and its ATM Crime Talking Points document, both available from the GASA website at www.globalasa.com, as part of its series that will cover the security of the whole ATM lifecycle, from cardholder security through PIN and encryption security to ATM transactional and data security.

"We would like to encourage the ATM industry to use this new manual covering the physical security of ATMs as a reference guide for future ATM installations and for any strategic security reviews of existing installations," commented Mike Lee, ATMIA's International Director and founder of GASA.

In the Foreword, Alan Townsend, Crime Co-ordinator of the Flying Squad, and Lachlan Gunn, Director of ATM security consultancy, Ben Alpin Ltd, write that it is the physical ATM that provides the interface between the self-service banking industry and millions of cardholders around the world who use ATMs to withdraw cash, check balance enquiries, top-up their mobile phones, purchase tickets and pay bills.

"This manual is written to ensure that physical ATM security is the best it can be to protect not just the ATM and the cardholder as far as is humanly possible but also the three decades old reputation of the ATM for service excellence," they state.

Key contributors to the international best practice guidelines are the ATM Security Working Group in the United Kingdom, Banksys in Belgium, BenAlpin Ltd and LINK Interchange Network in the United Kingdom, as well as ATMIA.

The Alliance includes representation from Visa and MasterCard as well as from major ATM networks in several countries and law enforcement and fraud prevention agencies.