NCJ Number
112142
Journal
Security Management Volume: 32 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 49-52
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A variety of proactive and reactive measures are available to help bank security managers combat internal and external abuses and crimes.
Abstract
A logical countermeasure to insider abuse and fraud is a solid personnel program that ensures the integrity of new hirees and the continued integrity of current employees through careful background investigations, periodic financial inquiries, and employee security training. Alarm systems and still or closed-circuit television surveillance systems are required by law and must be kept well maintained. Automated teller machines (ATM's) will be required to have duress alarms, surveillance cameras, and protected vestibules under the ATM Crime Prevention Act of 1987. The utility of these requirements, however, is questionable; employee training and centralized monitoring by service teams are likely to be more effective in increasing ATM safety and security. Signature verification systems, employee training in forgery prevention and detection, and interbank warning networks can help discover possible forgery, fraud, and check kiting. While proactive security measures are usually more cost-effective than reactive ones, they may be difficult to justify because of the limited statistical data available. The most prudent approach to spending security dollars is likely to be a mix of both proactive and reactive measures.