Possibility of cyber threats is disrupting banking services under alternative delivery channel (ADC) for particular periods in the last couple of days, thus causing inconvenience to many debit/credit card users.
Most of the banks are keeping their alternative channels, like - online banking and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) operations, suspended from 10.00 pm to 8.00 am everyday as precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incidents.
The financial institutions are informing their customers of the service suspension through text message and e-mail and by displaying instructions in the booths.
Though no cyber theft has taken place since the issue surfaced, many clients are getting afraid of losing money.
Shahidul Islam, a private sector official, said he failed to withdraw cash from a private bank's ATM booth on Monday night despite his urgent necessity.
"I work for my employer in the evening shift. So, I often use the ATMs while returning home in the middle of night."
He also said he did not know about the service disruption in night.
"Actually I use the ATMS most of the time for cash withdrawal according to my convenience for many years," he added.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) issued a circular on August 27 in an effort to alert the financial institutions about a cyber threat.
It requested the banks to strengthen monitoring on ATM operations, debit and credit card services, point-of-sale (POS) terminal and online banking. The central bank directed the banks to stay alert, after it came to know that a North Korea-based hacker group has been trying to attack the financial institutions in Bangladesh as well as in other countries.
According to sources, the hacker group, known as 'Beagle Boys', has been sending malware in a unique method to infiltrate banks' digital infrastructure.
Though the central bank did not give any order, most of the banks are keeping their ADC services suspended during night, considering security of the clients. Sources said security breaches are likely to take place during night, as some mishaps happened in the recent years.
Many banks have beefed up both digital and physical securities of their facilities.
"For security reasons, our ATM service will be unavailable for all debit and credit cards from 11.00 pm to 8.00 am until further notice," a bank's SMS alert reads.
Another bank said, "ATM service will be unavailable from 11.00 pm to 7.00 am everyday due to security reason until further notice."
Contacted, Adil Raihan, a Deputy Managing Director of Mercantile Bank Limited, said they have strengthened monitoring on their ATM operations and keeping those suspended from 11.00 pm to 7.00 am.
"Whatever precautionary measures are being implementing now, we are doing these for the customers' safeguard."
He also suggested that the clients should not get panicked, and communicate with the banks through call centres for any necessity.
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