Alert sent out over eastern European internet attacks on US firms

2009-08-25

Members of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center have been sent an alert warning them that cybercriminals in eastern Europe are increasingly attacking small and medium-sized firms in the US, it has been reported.

Financial organisations as well as security companies, media and law enforcement agencies have reported "a significant increase in funds transfer fraud involving the exploitation of valid banking credentials belonging to small and medium-sized businesses", according to the alert cited by the Washington Post.

As the targets are comparatively small when weighed up against the large retailers and government agencies that have been hit by breaches, the attacks have not received as much attention, according to the newspaper.

The alert notes that these scams are usually reliant on "money mules" that are often hired by cybercriminals through online job boards, the publication revealed.

Over in the US, Boston University has admitted to a data breach.

It came after a file transfer program was installed on a server in an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps office at the university.

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