Patent attributes
The invention describes a device (10) and a method for protecting a self-service terminal against fraudulent installation of spying-out apparatuses for spying-out information, which device and method are based on the detection of metallic components of the spying-out apparatus. The device (10) comprises a control unit (12) and a peripheral (24) which is connected to the control unit (12) via an interface (26, 28, 30). The sound card (24) has an output for an analog output signal, to which output a coil (52, 56) for generating a primary electromagnetic field can be connected, and an input for an analog detection signal, to which input a second coil (60, 64) for detecting a secondary electromagnetic field, which is influenced by the interaction of the primary electromagnetic field with the metallic components of the spying-out apparatus, can be connected. The control unit (12) actuates the sound card (24) in order to generate the primary electromagnetic field via the interface (26, 28, 30) and/or receives the digitized detection signal and analyzes said signal in order to determine whether a foreign metallic object is present.
