DDOS attacks hitting banks

As DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks have continued to be leveled again banks nationwide, our FBI Cyber Division has asked we share the attached information with our Oklahoma bankers to help with understanding and increase awareness. We would recommend you review this downloadable information and share it with your IT personnel:

• An 11-slide Powerpoint presentation in PDF format detailing anatomy of the attacks and a timeline of events against the financial sector (click here);
• A PDF document detailing which financial institutions have been threatened or attacked to date (click here);
• A detailed PDF containing the FBI Pre-Deployment Checklist for Cyber Investigations, which would greatly enhance the FBI’s ability to investigate these cases should you be attacked (click here).

We are also providing a document generated by the BITS Financial Roundtable (the group with whom we are working closely on senior exploitation) that it has released to all financial institutions. This piece details strategies for response and it would be a great tool. Click here to download.

The FBI has asked for information on the best contacts for Oklahoma banks. We have provided them with copies of the Oklahoma bank directories. Notification would be quicker and more accurate if you would also provide an IT point of contact and a number that agents could use after hours if they needed to get urgent information to your banks. If you would like to have your information included in a master list we will share with the FBI Cyber guys, please email it to elaine@oba.com. This is not a requirement but would certainly be advantageous due to the often urgent nature of cyber attacks.

On another, but similar, topic, we are seeing an increased incidence of phone calls purporting to be Microsoft and asking bank customers to give them remote access so they can fix a “virus” they have detected. This has led to attempted and completed fraudulent wire transfers, so it is a reason for concern and to educate your corporate and personal customers on this issue. A press release with details will be available through our communications division or fraud division. You can contact jeremy@oba.com or elaine@oba.com and we will email it to you or your local media.