Hacking Ring Exposes Banking Institutions Across The Globe
An advanced hacking ring that’s been active since 2013 have infiltrated the computer systems of 100+ banks worldwide, and now have stolen nearly $1 billion across more than 30 countries. In what could be the largest monetary breach in existence, Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab revealed that each bank was hit with a somewhat limited $10 million breach.
The banks that were targeted have been found in the United States, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and China, but many more could be on the horizon. In what seems to be a win for the average banking customer, it initially appears that the hackers’ only intent was to steal copious amounts of money, leaving customer data untouched. The attack directly hits banking institutions around the world, but fortunately, out of some odd sort of mercy, leaves the customer unscathed.
Kaspersky Lab also revealed that the hacking ring used some sort of phishing malware to gain access to the computer systems within the banks, months before the attack took place. During this period of digital reconnaissance, the hackers secretly watched the banks’ employees, learning the many different access codes and passwords that are used on a daily basis before going on the offensive.
The $1 billion breach is by far one of the two most expansive, coordinated and deliberate breach to hit the States within the past few years (the Sony Pictures breach being the other) — many of 2014’s larger breaches had hackers scavenging databases and protected servers for various pieces of information that proved useful; anything from company trade secrets to personal customer data.
After President Obama’s State of the Union address, which singled out digital breaches and the necessary improvements needed to re-vamp digital protection infrastructures, it seemed that 2015 was going to be the bounce-back year to 2014’s many digital pitfalls … As of now, that hasn’t been the case. Expect updates on the situation as more details unfold.
Written by Samuel Lang
Content Manager – NeoCertified
