Data input device comprising means for detecting a spy device, and corresponding detection method and computer program

1 . A data input device, comprising:

a recess in the data input device defined by a bottom and a plurality of walls extending up from the bottom;

a keypad positioned at the bottom of the recess of said data input device;

a housing formed in one of the plurality of walls of the recess,

at least one proximity sensor positioned within the housing and oriented in a direction toward said keypad with a detection area including a volume of the recess immediately above the keypad, said proximity sensor delivering measurements; and

a processor for analyzing said measurements, delivering information representative of a presumed presence of a spy device positioned on said keypad when said measurements are higher than a predetermined threshold for a predetermined time period.

2 . The data input device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one proximity sensor is positioned within a housing formed in an upper wall of said recess.

3 . The data input device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one proximity sensor is an infrared proximity sensor.

4 . The data input device according to claim 1 , wherein said information representative of the presumed presence of the spy device is delivered as an alert message displayed on a screen of said data input device.

5 . The data input device according to claim 1 , further comprising a network interface for communicating an alert to a remote device, that are activated when said information representative of the presumed presence of the spy device is delivered.

6 . The data input device according to claim 1 , further comprising a computer program executing on the processor, for blocking at least a part of said data input device, that is activated when said information representative of the presumed presence of the spy device is delivered.

7 . The data input device according to claim 6 , wherein the computer program executing on the processor for blocking switches off a screen of said data input device.

8 . The data input device according to claim 1 , further comprising a protection flap for blanking a card insertion slot of the at least one transaction card reader of said data input device, wherein the protection flap is activated when said information representative of the presumed presence of the spy device is delivered.

9 . A method for detecting a spy device positioned on a keypad at a bottom of a recess of a data input device, the recess being defined by the bottom and a plurality of walls extending up from the bottom, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting a signal by a transmitter of a proximity sensor toward the keypad, the proximity sensor positioned in one of the plurality of walls of the recess and oriented in a direction toward said keypad with a detection area including a volume of the recess immediately above the keypad;

receiving a signal by a receiver of the proximity sensor;

obtaining repeated measurements, over a predetermined time period, representative of an energy difference between the signal transmitted by the transmitter and the signal received by the receiver;

executing a computer program on a microprocessor in the data input device to analyze said measurements to compare the measurements with a predetermined threshold; and

delivering information representative of a presumed presence of the spy device on said keypad when said measurements are higher than the predetermined threshold for the predetermined time period.

10 . A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by the microprocessor, comprising the computer program including program code instructions to execute the method according to claim 9 , when the computer program is executed by the microprocessor.