Up to $1 billion has been stolen from 100 banks around the world by a group of international cyber criminals over a two year period, according to the Russian computer security company, Kaspersky Lab.
The group, known as Carbanak, took the unusual approach of stealing directly from banks, instead of going through customers. Carefully crafted emails were used to trick employees into opening malicious software, which allowed access to the banks" internal networks and video surveillance.
Kaspersky said the video surveillance was used to learn how the bank"s processes worked, so the group could pass off their actions as legitimate processes and transactions. The group also remotely ordered ATMs to dispense cash at a time when a member would be waiting to collect the money.
The director of Interpol Digital Crime Center, Sanjay Virmani, said in a statement prepared by Kaspersky that "these attacks again underline the fact that criminals will exploit any vulnerability in any system." He also said that these attacks "also highlights the fact that no sector can consider itself immune to attack and must constantly address their security procedures."
The company said it was working with Interpol, Europol and authorities from different countries to try to uncover the group, who has members in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, and China.
Source: Reuters | Image via BlogSolute