Federal Reserve Faced Hundreds of Cyber Attacks Since 2011

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According to a report from the Federal Reserve, the financial institution has faced over 300 cyber attacks between 2011 and 2015. This number is quite significant, but it is not surprising in the last, as hackers have taken a liking to attacking financial institutions.

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Although the report is only available in heavily redacted format, Reuters has managed to extract some interesting details. In several dozen occasions, somebody managed to access information that was beyond their level of authorization. Most of these attacks were executed by hackers and spies, though, rather than people working for the Federal Reserve.

Federal Reserve Is A Popular Target

It is important to keep in mind this report only serves as a representation of what has really gone on behind the scenes. Financial institutions such as the Federal Reserve are constantly under threat. However, the report only mentions attacks affecting the Board of Governors, rather than the privately owned branches.

Malicious code, unauthorized access, and information disclosure were the most common threats to the Board of Governors.Interestingly enough, the Federal Reserve’s national cybersecurity team greatly exceed the number of reports by the local cybersecurity team.

In total, 310 reports were filed by the Board of Governors between 2011 and 2014. Nearly half of those attacks were labeled as hacking attempts, although some reports were not classified under a specific banner. Moreover, there have been eight information breaches between 2011 and 2013, all of which occurred through malicious code used by hackers.

Espionage is a factor as well through these incidents, as four incidents were classified under this moniker. Two of these attacks resulted in data being stolen, although the report doesn’t mention specific details. The Federal Reserve report mentioned an additional 51 information disclosure incidents.

What are your thoughts on the Federal Reserve not disclosing the full truth about cyber attacks? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Reuters

Images courtesy of Federal Reserve, Shutterstock

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