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What are the common security risks of vending machines and how to deal with them?


Vending machine locking management

Risk of stealing goods by damaging the fuselage

Risk Description:

1. In addition to picking locks, thieves may use tools to vandalise the body of the vending machine, such as smashing through glass panels or drilling holes in the casing to access merchandise. This approach can cause serious damage to the vending machine and result in significant loss of merchandise.

Countermeasures:

1. Use reinforced glass as the display panel of the vending machine. Tempered glass has high strength and impact resistance and can withstand some degree of external damage. For example, the use of tempered glass with a thickness of 8 - 10 mm can effectively prevent it from being easily broken.

2. Install anti-drilling steel plates inside the body shell. These steel plates can be installed close to the merchandise storage area. When a tool tries to drill a hole, it will encounter a hard protective layer, making theft more difficult. At the same time, install vibration sensors in the body to trigger an alarm as soon as severe vibrations are detected.


Vending Machine Cybersecurity Risks

Cybersecurity Risks (for Smart Vending Machines)

Risk Description:

1. Intelligent vending machines are usually connected to a network for functions such as remote monitoring, inventory management and payment systems. This poses a risk of cyber-attacks, e.g., hackers may break into the vending machine's system to tamper with prices, steal customer payment information, or interfere with inventory data.

Countermeasures:

1. Install a professional network firewall. A firewall filters incoming and outgoing network traffic and blocks unauthorised access. Regularly update the rules and software of the firewall to cope with changing network threats.

2. Use secure network communication protocols, such as SSL/TLS encryption protocols, for securing payment data and other sensitive information during network transmission. Also, conduct regular security vulnerability scanning and updating of the software systems of the vending machines to fix any security problems found in a timely manner.


Electrical fire risk

Fire Risk

Risk description:

1. Vending machines have electrical components inside, such as compressors, circuit boards and lighting equipment. If these components fail, a fire may start. In addition, there is an increased risk of fire if there are flammable items around the vending machine.

Countermeasures:

1. Install temperature sensors and smoke detectors inside the vending machine. When the temperature is too high or smoke is detected, the alarm can be triggered in time and can be linked with the fire fighting system.

2. Regularly maintain and inspect the electrical components inside the vending machine to ensure their normal operation. Avoid stacking flammable items around the vending machine, and keep the environment around the vending machine clean and well-ventilated.



Risk of vending machine poisoning

Risk of poisoning

Risk Description:

1. Malicious persons may endanger the health of consumers by dropping hazardous substances at the vending machine merchandise drop-off ports or internal merchandise storage areas. This risk is relatively low, but the consequences are extremely serious.

Countermeasures:

1. Install well-sealed merchandise ports to prevent easy entry of outside items. At the same time, the vending machine can be equipped with an internal detection device for detecting whether abnormal substances have entered the merchandise storage area.

2. Strengthen the daily management and monitoring of the vending machines and regularly check whether there are any signs of tampering with the merchandise. For vending machines in high-risk areas, consideration can be given to adding devices such as biosensors for detecting harmful substances.

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