“Anonymous” is an activist hacking group that has recently boasted that it will engage in 30 days of cyber assaults against “all central banks,” reports an article on cnbc.com.
And their bite is as big as their bark, as this announcement came soon after several major banks around the world were struck—and Anonymous proudly claimed credit. The banks that were apparently breached by Anonymous include:
- Bangladesh Central Bank
- National Bank of Greece
- Qatar National Bank
Anonymous put up their plans on a YouTube video: a “30-day campaign against central banks around the world.” The hacking group calls their endeavor Operation Icarus, bragging about how they crumbled the Bank of Greece with a denial of service attack.
Anonymous has stated that it will target the following financial institutions:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Bank for International Settlements
- London Stock Exchange
- And of course, “all central banks” and “every major banking system”
Anonymous has a real gripe against banks, because they further state, “We will not let the banks win,” continues the report at cnbc.com. The hacking group wants everyone to know that their operation will be “one of the most massive attacks” ever committed in Anonymous’s history.
The article adds that another media outlet, Gulf News, reports that the hackers who infiltrated Qatar National Bank attacked yet another bank and intend on making the stolen data public for this second attack—very soon. It’s possible that this leaked data will be used for ransom.
For you, every day bank customer, don’t worry about any of this, BUT, always pay close attention to bank activity and make sure all transactions have been authorized by you. Sign up for alerts and notifications via text and email so you see every transaction in real-time.
Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.
