Like Swiss Emmental cheese, the manners in which your online banking activities are protected might be full of holes. According to internet security software developer, Kaspersky, the amount of risk reached record levels in 2014. Specific targets are the people and businesses using internet banking.
In January, an estimated one million euros were lost by a Swiss company in a web-based financial transaction which was hacked. The victim, an accountant in the business, was not aware of what was going on.
It began when he opened an email containing an attachment. A message then appeared requesting that he ‘please wait.’ For 20-30 minutes, he was unable to use his computer. A lot of viruses allowing for these types of illegal actions are readily accessible online. The updated versions sell for over 1,000 euros on the darknet.
An IT specialist describes how it works: “I can track each of the computers I’ve successfully hacked [using this software], and I can see exactly, among them, how many are now banking online and for that reason exposed. So here (pointing at two machines), there are two which are now connected.”
Confronted with an increasing variety of cyber attacks on businesses, Switzerland has set up an emergency center to analyze them and to monitor attacks. However, the secrecy surrounding the center means they cannot supply us with figures or any names.
“It is a really huge issue. You have got to realize that anyone who would like to do damage and needs to make money that manner will automatically turn to e-banking,” says IT security specialist Max Klaus.
Not one of the banks consented to reply to our questions.
Swiss banks warn their customers about security issues linked to the usage of the web in their own, general statements – a warning which frequently includes a clause clearing the bank of any obligation in case of an online attack.
“The customer is a victim twice over. First, he is the victim of a criminal, and he has barely any opportunity to defend himself because of the overall conditions in his contract. Occasionally, there are arrangements between banks as well as customers but sadly, most of the time, these deals are kept secret, they may be private, so it is tough to uncover what the process is, which is of course harmful to the client,” says Mathieu Fleury, of the Swiss consumer’s rights organization.
EU authorities are worried about the susceptibility of SMEs due to the fact that they employ two thirds of the work force in Europe.
AnonHQ recommends: Protect your PC & mobile devices from hackers and governments & surf and download anonymously
SOURCE:
“Internet Banking: A Hacker’s Ideal Target.” RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2015. http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/17/internet-banking-a-hacker-s-ideal-target/
