Anonymous attack’s banks in a successful campaign in Greece, and the hacking collective group has more on the way. According to an unidentified official, the Bank of Greece website was attacked and not working as members of Anonymous were able to take down the server that “lasted for a few minutes.”
The official said the security systems prevented any data leaks, CNet reports. Still, it was an ominous threat that could have an impact on financial institutions across the world.
The Anonymous attack on banks was confirmed by a member who posted a statement confirming that the hacking collective had a busy campaign against “central bank sites across the world.” While the statement didn’t say which bank websites would be attacked, it was noted that the campaign would last 30 days.
Other banks that are being targeted are located in the U.S., UK, China, Iran and Pakistan. The Bank of Greece is still working to fully resolve the issues created by Anonymous for its customers. A Denial-of-Service Attack, or DDoS attack, can affect everything from mobile banking to PC banking.
Anonymous is one of the most well-known hacking collectives in the world. The collective has no structured organization and members participate in different operations whenever they like. The group has targeted a wide range of organizations, companies, and individuals over the years, including Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Wall Street, and others.
Anonymous Begins '30-Day' Hack Attack on Banks https://t.co/q7smXmeKtv
— Phanendra Deka (@DhrubRaaj) May 4, 2016
The Anonymous attack on banks is an extension of Operation Icarus, a campaign the collective previously launched against Wall Street. The group is now bringing it back over the next month.
While the group failed to explain exactly why Anonymous members are deciding to attack central banks around the world, the group said that there is a “global banking cartel” that is capitalizing on the hard work of others, SC Magazine reported.
Anonymous members who intend to carry out Operation Icarus will allegedly utilize a Low Orbit Ion Cannon to simultaneously launch DDoS attacks. LOIC allows hackers to inundate servers with heavy network traffic. The OpIcarus Facebook page lists approximately 60 financial institutions that will be targeted as a part of the campaign.
Anonymous was formed back in 2003, and it is an international-wide group. Its members and supporters are known for sporting Guy Fawkes masks. The group has been implicated in a number of movements, including Occupy Wall Street, WikiLeaks and the Arab Spring. In April, Anonymous made headlines for hacking a Ku Klux Klan website.
“This is a call to arms, brothers, who for too long have stood for nothing but have criticized everything,” Anonymous wrote. “Stand now, behind the banner of free men against the tyrannical matrix of institutions that oppose us. Take your weapons and aim them at the Global Banking Cartel. This is the operation to end all others. In the beginning some people may stand to lose something from this, but the powers that be stand to lose much more. Bring the rain, brothers!”
The statement ends with an ominous threat: “Global Banking Cartel, you’ve probably expected us.”
Value Walk said the Anonymous attack on banks has prompted financial institutions to beef up security measures. It’s also unknown how many members will participate in the campaign. But banks around the world might want to ensure they’ve fortified their defenses.
