U.S. bank website hackers used advanced botnets, diverse tools

[Big Steel]

<http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/t...s-used-advanced-botnets-diverse-tools-6238850>

The hackers, believed to be activists in the Middle East, were highly
knowledgeable about the defensive equipment used by the banks and likely
spent months on reconnaissance, said several researchers interviewed by
Reuters, who viewed the assaults as among the strongest and most complex
the world has seen to date.

Researchers said the hackers used groups of compromised computers, known
as botnets, which are inexpensive to rent for short periods. What made
these botnets much more powerful was that they were made up of Web
servers that had been taken over, instead of mere personal computers.

 

[philo]

<http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/t...s-used-advanced-botnets-diverse-tools-6238850>


The hackers, believed to be activists in the Middle East, were highly
knowledgeable about the defensive equipment used by the banks and likely
spent months on reconnaissance, said several researchers interviewed by
Reuters, who viewed the assaults as among the strongest and most complex
the world has seen to date.

Researchers said the hackers used groups of compromised computers, known
as botnets, which are inexpensive to rent for short periods. What made
these botnets much more powerful was that they were made up of Web
servers that had been taken over, instead of mere personal computers.

A couple of years ago my savings account (US Bank) got hacked.
A very small amount of money was withdrawn (maybe 5 or ten dollars)
and it would have been easy enough to miss.

The way they handled the whole thing was just plain horrible.
They initially told me such things were *exceedingly* rare yet they
maintain a 24/7 fraud line for handling such.

They ultimately got the problem fixed but it was a big hassle.
I don't give them high grades for security.

 

[Big Steel]

A couple of years ago my savings account (US Bank) got hacked.
A very small amount of money was withdrawn (maybe 5 or ten dollars)
and it would have been easy enough to miss.

The way they handled the whole thing was just plain horrible.
They initially told me such things were *exceedingly* rare yet they
maintain a 24/7 fraud line for handling such.

They ultimately got the problem fixed but it was a big hassle.
I don't give them high grades for security.

If it's true that it originated in the Middle East, then they are
testing how they can disrupt something in the US by cyber attacks. I
know that a cyber attack took the electrical grid in Brazil.

 

[philo]

If it's true that it originated in the Middle East, then they are
testing how they can disrupt something in the US by cyber attacks. I
know that a cyber attack took the electrical grid in Brazil.

In my case I will never know where the hacking came from...
but there is also a chance it could have been Russian.

By making a very small withdraw I am sure a lot of people would never
notice.

 

[Daniel47]

In my case I will never know where the hacking came from...
but there is also a chance it could have been Russian.

By making a very small withdraw I am sure a lot of people would never
notice.

Coming to this very late.....

Did your bank re-pay you the small amount ripped off from your account
because of their poor security??

Daniel

 

[philo]

Coming to this very late.....

Did your bank re-pay you the small amount ripped off from your account
because of their poor security??

Daniel

Yes, the money was returned to my account without a problem...but the
way they handled the whole thing was terrible.

However part of the problem was that the person I was dealing with
initially was an idiot, the 2nd person I dealt with got it all fixed at
once.


If this ever happens to anyone else here, when you report such a
compromise, do not tell the bank there was an error. Refer to it as
*fraud* right off the bat.