FDIC computers were hacked in 2010-11, new report says
May 12, 2016
Shah Sheikh (1294 articles)
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FDIC computers were hacked in 2010-11, new report says

Cybercriminals hacked nearly 100 computers at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. several years ago, stealing taxpayers’ personal information, according to a 2013 report by the agency’s inspector general that was released Wednesday.

The document from the inspector general, which refers to incidents from 2010-11 and was reported earlier by the Washington Post, shows that the cybercriminals were able to export data from FDIC computers to external servers by creating “valid administrator accounts” that allowed the hackers access to FDIC networks. It isn’t clear how many taxpayers may have been affected.

The breach included 12 computers used by FDIC executives, extending all the way to Sheila Bair, the chairwoman of the FDIC at the time of the attacks. The report doesn’t identify any executives by name.

Barbara Hagenbaugh, a spokeswoman for the FDIC, said the agency had improved its cyberdefenses in the years since the attack. “We have taken a number of significant steps in recent years to strengthen the FDIC’s information security program and we are continuously working to address emerging threats,” she said.

Source | MarketWatch