Asking banks to take immediate steps, RBI last week warned that banking operations, including ATM services, may be hit as support from Microsoft for Windows XP operating system will end from 8 April.

 “The probability of attacks on such a system may increase and it may be difficult to defend such attacks in the absence of Microsoft support,” RBI had said in a circular to banks. Goyal said banks and financial institutions are facing higher risk compared to other sectors.

 “Banks and financial institutions are slow in upgrading from Windows XP. Private Banks a little bit better. They are more equal to the average of the industry, which is around 84 percent. It is public sector banks and financial institutions that are still lagging,” he added.

 Of the total number of computers in banks and financial institutions that use Windows XP, only 65 percent have so far upgraded from the OS, Goyal said. “Banks are definitely well prepared and the industry is seized of the matter. I am very sure that you will not see a problem where ATMs or bank counters are shut because of this,” Tanksale added.

 According to IBA, there are over 140,000 operational ATMs across the country at present and the number is only going up given the low penetration of the machines.

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