HOW HACKERS GET CAUGHT? | BANGLADESH CENTRAL BANK BREACH

HOW HACKERS GET CAUGHT?

Despite what may seem like an critical task, hackers are human and make mistakes. It’s often some careless errors that will trip the criminals up and leave a trail of evidence that the police can follow.

In the 2016 Bangladesh Central Bank attack, where hackers breached the system and stole payment transfer credentials worth $81m. They attempted to steal a further $1bn  - but a small spelling error (seems silly right) in the transfer order alerted an employee who immediately blocked the transaction.

The type of malicious software used in an attack can also provide valuable clues -

It makes the police to identify the country or individual behind the hack. Security researchers were able to determine that the malware used in the Bangladesh Bank attack was also used in the 2013 Sony Pictures attack, a failed bid to steal $1m from a Vietnamese bank, and an attack on South Korea’s top broadcaster and banks. The code used within all the attacks was identical and pointed towards a coordinated attack from North Korea.

The majority of cybercrimes are financially motivated, however for a large number of hackers it’s the thrill of the hack and the excitement of bringing down a company’s computer system that motivates them. Following an attack, many will turn to hacker’s forums to brag about their exploits and this often provides police with the vital clues they need to start identifying the person responsible.

Solutions-

Honeypots have also proved an effective way to lure cyber criminals in and find out more about how they operate and who they are. Essentially, they’re a decoy computer system set up to mimic a likely target for an attack. The systems will contain data and applications that will trick hackers into thinking they are attacking a legitimate target.  The information gathered from these dummy attacks can provide valuable information on who is responsible and if there are any similarities that links the individual to other attacks.

To ensure your employees are equipped to deal with the most up to date security threats, it’s vital they receive regular Cyber Security Awareness training.

Conclusion-

There’s no doubt that catching hackers is a difficult task and as long as they are continuing to generate such huge profits, the cat and mouse game will continue.