Cyber Attacks Target Six Major U.S. Banks
Published: Oct 1, 2012
Recent reports indicate that several of the largest financial institutions in the United States, including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and U.S. Bancorp, were subjected to a series of cyber attacks last week. A group claiming to have Middle Eastern affiliations executed these attacks, resulting in internet outages and disruptions to online banking services.
The banks experienced denial-of-service attacks, where hackers inundate a website with excessive traffic, causing it to become overwhelmed and shut down. Although these attacks can be disruptive, they are not technically advanced and do not compromise the security of the banks’ computer networks, funds, or customer accounts.
The group, identifying itself as “Mrt. Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters,” specifically targeted Wells Fargo and announced plans to attack U.S. Bancorp and PNC Financial Services Group next. They stated that their actions were a response to an anti-Islam video that ridicules the Prophet Muhammad and vowed to persist in their assaults on American financial institutions.
