A recent theft from an ATM machine in broad daylight using a key sequence which unlocked the machine and allowed the criminal to reprogram it to dispense larger bills than it thought it was doing, has had plenty of follow-up.
While this issue may bring the idea to the minds of young people in some small groups of the nation, I doubt this will turn into some sort of crime spree. However, it does illustrate exactly the failings of computer network decades ago, and something that continues today in many electronics areas outside computer networks: default passwords. When a technician or operator installs electronic equipment like ATMs, it is very unclear whether they properly change default passwords or close any backdoors. Telephone boxes, ATMs, lighted road construction signs, and many more devices are frequently left with default passwords. The only protection is usually threefold, 1) A lock on the internal workings of the device, 2) obscurity by not publicizing the passwords and backdoors and manuals widely, 3) common human conscience to not do something criminal in public.
The hacking/phreaking community has known about these things for decades. ATM boxes are a very popular target and much of these issues have been long known. A lock can be picked, broken, or just plain left unsecured. Obscurity is not a protection when used alone, and hiding passwords, manuals, and basically not teaching no-qualified people how to use devices is not protection. Frequently, this is defeated by operators leaving the manual nearby or scrawling notes with passwords inside the box. Obviously, the conscience of the person is widely variable and some people will not be deterred by it.
It is only a matter of time before more things like this are discovered out and about in less technical areas of the world. These lie in the gray forgotten area when electronics started getting smarter and thus needed passwords for operations and the widespread security paranoia of computer systems with widely publicized attacks via a very efficient Internet medium. Also, many of these systems sit in an area between white collar workers and IT staff; a lost area that is as much ignored as actually forgotten.