Computer Attack on IMF Described as ‘Sophisticated and Serious’
- Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:41am by
Scott Baker
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NEW YORK (AP) — The International Monetary Fund, already reeling from last month’s arrest of its former leader, is investigating an attack on its computer system.
IMF spokesman David Hawley said the organization is fully functional. He declined to provide further details on what he termed an “IT incident,” including its scope or nature and whether any sensitive data were taken. The IMF has confidential information on countries in financial trouble.
The New York Times cited unnamed IMF officials as saying the attack was sophisticated and serious.
The IMF told staffers about it on Wednesday but hasn’t made a public announcement.
The IMF is already facing a public-relations headache after the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as IMF managing director last month after being accused of sexually assaulting a maid in a New York hotel.
French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens and others are vying for the top job. Stanley Fischer, Israel’s central bank chief, emerged as a candidate Saturday.
It’s not clear if hackers were targeting the IMF. Hackers sometimes try to distribute malicious software code widely and see which organizations it can infect.
But they can also choose targets. Using a technique called “spear phishing,” for instance, they can trick employees of a specific organization into clicking a link that then gives hackers access to its computer systems.
Dave Jevans, chairman of computer security firm IronKey Inc., said he’s concerned by an uptick in “hacktivism,” where groups target organizations for political purposes.
It’s possible the IMF was the victim of such hacktivism. However, one official cited by the Times said the attack occurred over the last several months, before the troubles involving Strauss-Kahn.
Concerns about the IMF attack were great enough that the World Bank cut a computer link that allows the two organizations to share non-sensitive information, according to a bank official. The move was taken out of “an abundance of caution,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security issues around the incident.
The IMF attack follows a string of major data breaches.
In recent months, hackers have penetrated 100 million Sony PlayStation accounts, the networks of Lockheed Martin and the customer email databases of a company that does marketing for Best Buy and Target stores.
Google has accused Chinese hackers of targeting the Gmail accounts of U.S. government officials.
About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen.
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Comments (52)
hoopsgulch
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 7:49pmWhy I should be concerned about a hack attack on the IMF thieves who stole my money?
Report Post »historypaper
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 5:52pmThe I.M.F. tank regiments of the Obama Black Brigades (OBB) were settling down for another night under the poplar trees when the alarm sounded. The American Patriots found another way inside the I.M.F. and had mined the secret one world order data being so closely guarded.
Report Post »The Obama Black Brigades vehicles and several tanks crossed the nearby bridge only to hit a mine that was laid by the American Patriots and a massive explosion resulted.
The Dutch anti-tank mines the Patriots were using did the trick and long range rifle fire opened up from the opposite side of the hill. The U.S. Patriots only had one thought this time and celebrated the massive OBB tank explosion.
Fighting side by side with the U.S. Patriots were the North American Shawnee Platoon (NASP) and they were in the fight hard as they dropped and fired on the approaching Obama Black Brigades (OBB). The Shawnee Indian fighters seemed to be everywhere and they called it cloud fighting. Always moving in small groups the Shawnee Patriots were a wonderful sight to see as they ran from the I.M.F. data center.
Always attacking the OBB kept the pressure on but the secret I.M.F. data was already uploaded and received by U.S. Patriot Central Command post deep in the forests of Germany.
The country was hilly and the small group of trees would save many U.S. Patriots but the Shawnee Patriots crossed a field right into hell.
virgie morgan
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 4:05pmBack when they were trying to pass TARP, Bush called congress in at night, and him and Paulson had a talk with them. When they came out a reporter caught up with Chris Dodd (who looked scared to death), and asked him what was said and Dodd said something like this: I can’t really talk about it, but when they told us what was going on the whole room just shut up..the silence was deafening! Does anyone remember that? I”ve never seen them play that interview again but it stuck with me because it was right after that when they passed TARP even though everyone was telling them not to. It was the first time they rammed something down our throats. I wish I knew what it was that Bush and Paulson said to them.
Report Post »upstateny
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 5:55pmWe all would.
Report Post »tasmanianwabbit
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 3:49pmI just hope these are “white hat” hackers, and come up with unrefutable evidence of the conspiracy to destroy our economy & who’s all in on it. Release it, and let the arrests and hangings begin!
Report Post »LB
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 2:30pmHow about we hack China and erase our debt. While we are at it erase mine too. I have thought since the 2008 crash, that we had already been hacked and manipulated, maybe even from people who are suppose to be Americans. Fraud all around
Report Post »OH, I Get It!
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:27pmBill Gates, Al Gore, and all the other “geniuses” who invented the internet, browsers, and operating systems make so much money and yet CAN’T SECURE THE PRODUCT! Don’t you think they should know their own invention well enough to protect it?
Report Post »FANGS
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:07pmGeorge Soros And The Obama Administration are behind everything Corrupt. It’s Obvious, None of this stuff happened Before obama.
Report Post »hi
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:00pmStop borrowing money from China to pay the IMF!!!!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:36pmThis is one of the actual issues given the Federal Government- and they can’t get even this right!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:35pmMe smells a Czar trial run…
Report Post »publicuss
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:17pm“The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.”
The question that should be asked is what was REALLY copied from those files and why? Could they contain audio recordings of meetings where the deliberate destruction of the American economy was discussed? Where the former IMF head was in direct contact with Henry Paulson in Sept/Oct 2008 and the IMF was pushing for the nationalsation of the American Banking System?! Paulson refused to entertain the idea, but since the original $700 Billion in TARP (that has been repaid) how much more has Obama and assoc borrowed/spent….? How much indeed and where did those monies come from?? Who bought the notes? Who backed the notes? What are the notes backed with? Won’t it be interesting if the hackers release audio recordings that plainly show Who knew, What they knew and How they did it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)
Report Post »publicuss
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:44pmHere’s a new wallpaper, load it on your computer at work and see it hit the fan fast!!
Report Post »llotus
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:15pmIs it hacking or are the given info. to get the information they need. Seems there are some low people capable of getting to important info. Given or hacked, thats my question. Lotus.
Report Post »heyjim55
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:28amIt could be China doing the hacking but lets remember that there are a lot of groups out there that are very angry at all of the financial institutions. IMF has long been hated by far left groups so is the World Bank, my guess is that it may be a combination of Left wing radical groups and the Chinese and Russian’s depending on who and what is getting hacked. Military and Military industrial complex industries might be a favorite of the Chinese and Russian‘s the economic targets might be more to the liking of these radical Leftist’s who hate capitalism. The Chinese already have us by the throat financially but choking us will only stop their breathing, Russia is staying back and playing their hand carefully as they are the weaker military power. What ever the target or hacker it is open season on the US ,
Report Post »CrackerSmurf
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:15amTake the IMF out. Don’t forget the federal reserve to wipe the books clean.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 7:19pmI have a question, seriously: I have a problem with the Fed being a ‘secret’ organization, but not with its being a private one, nor particularly with its control over our money! If the Fed’s job were left to our government, don‘t you think we’d be in a far more precarious situaion? The two-step relationship, keeping the political machine and our illustrious leaders out of the coffers isn’t such a bad idea! Even when the ‘quasi-goverment’ approach is used, like FNMA and FRDM or whatever, it is subject to abuse and corruption! If we didn’t have the Fed, we might have ‘lost it all’ in the Clinton adminstration, or earlier. What we need is a Fed-accountable to the American public! Audits, a board of directors with INDEPENDENT directors, etc.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:58amThis is becoming a serious problem in our world. Whatever can be used for great good, can be used for great evil. Can’t remember where I first heard that, but everyday it seems to be more and more true. When you consider how much of our lives are wound up in computers, it becomes a scary proposition. I am trying to figure out ways to disconnect and simplify. I have a sinking feeling that personal privacy is disapearing-quickly.
Report Post »Gas137
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:36amI agree. The worst part is that everything you write or do on the computer leaves a permanent record. The push is for more of our information, like medical records, to be added by others to our personal data base.
Report Post »Gas137
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:41am“The IMF has confidential information on countries in financial trouble”.
We know what’s in it for the IMF. What’s in it for the hacktivists?
Report Post »christos
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:40am…….Did they heckle while staging their own hack,bowing to the regulation god,or were they making caramel corn,toss up,,,
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:25amI do not trust Government and as far as the UN is concerned they need to disband it because of corruption, we have no clue on what is happening in the IMF. The last I heard Bill and Hillary Clinton want to be in charge of the World banking system, corruption at the top seems to be a priority just ask George Soros. The race is on to be top dog in the corruption game.
Report Post »upstateny
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:20amIt would be wise for anyone interested in what might be just around the corner to read “Aftershock”. I read their first book “Americas Bubble Economy” and they were the only ones who nailed it. I took their advice and positioned myself for what we have today. I warned as many people as I could but as I expected very few listened. I follow those who have a track record of being correct not the talking heads.
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:12amNew world order, remember spooky dude!! Why are we even involved with any of these groups at all!
Report Post »His Lamb is Satanic
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:09amIf law sill existed, soros and odumbo would have been charged with high treason and thrown in the dumpster, but law is only for use in charging you and me with trumped up charges. The SA will come for you or your neighbor with many police. They practice now, honing their skills a apprehension, and then the cover story. Neighbors will only think, “Gee, look a all the cops. He must have done something terrible.” Get to know your neighbors, they are not strangers. Stand together, arm yourselves. Your money is already gone, you just do not realize that, yet.
Report Post »NOBALONEY
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:07amHackers are everywhere. The new managing director of the IMF will be Christin Lagarde, bacause the Communist Chinese have said so. We’ve been warned about their power rising, by Glenn many times. Lagarde‘s appointment to this position will show China’s influence is growing. .
Report Post »upstateny
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:57amYep and there are rumors of doing away with paper currency. I wouldn’t trust these idiots with feeding my dog and especially not my cash. How many data breaches have we read about in the first 6 months of 2011?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:06amWay too many, that is why I am wondering if it is the warming up moves for a cyber war. Or if we are already engaged in one on a low key level that has the potential to escalate.
Report Post »upstateny
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:25amHacking has been around since the internet was basically just a bunch BBS boards. I feel our two main threats will be EMP and the hacking of our infrastructure. Infra Guard is the group who is supposed to keep a look out for this and they were hacked about a week ago. We can stop it as well as the other side, this means we can’t.
Report Post »leftcoastslut
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:55amwhen the internet goes down, do these idiots in DC know how to count back change?
oh i almost forgot this change, nothing more is owed you, so sit down, shut up and hold on.
Report Post »Teapartywoman
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:54amUnforunately we are behind on one more thing, round and round we go and where it stops no one knows.
Report Post »Doodidle
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:48pmI think everyone is missing the big picture here, look at what else China has been hacking the past 5 years. They hacked google recently looking for government officials passwords and information. just think of all the info they are compiling. They are planning something
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:43ammaybe everyone should just use stand alone computers and separate computers for the internet?
Report Post »ILUVAMERICA
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:53amWho is behind these hackings???
Report Post »Is it the good guy or the bad guy?
They can say it’s china but ????????
drattastic
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:53amMaybe if obama bows to China some more they’ll be nice to us.They play chess, we play checkers.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:54am@Powhatan:
That does seem to be a great idea anymore.
I wonder if all the current and growing number of targeted hacker attacks, we could be seeing the start of a true cyber war by an nation or an organization (like Hamas, or other such band) seeking to cause maximum chaos in the West and in America along with the UN and such.
If that is indeed the case, look for the next ones to target major world stock exchanges and banking systems.
Of course if they want to hack the Fed Reserve and release all of their records, I may see value in letting that one get by.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:54am“It is an old maxim of mine, that when you exclude the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Report Post »Sherlock Holmes
Too easy, they will never do it.
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:01am@Drattastic:
Actually we play poker, the Middle East plays chess, the nation of China plays Go…a game based on long range strategy of small advances escalating in the win by overall postion and strength, not the necessary annhilation of ones opposition.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:11am@SNOW
Report Post »I know of“go” but didn’t think people would get the reference . You hit the nail on the head with us and poker and we are not the house ,we’re the two time loser degenerate gambler.
MidWestMom
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:16am@ — snow
“Actually we play poker, the Middle East plays chess, the nation of China plays Go…”
Excellent analysis!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:22am@Drattastic:
When you mentioned the phrase for us as a “two time loser degenerate gambler” I had to stop and figure if you were talking about Weiner and Pelosi going out for dinner with Al Gore and Biden.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:25amSNOW
Report Post »Don’t forget our old buddy Edwards
SHTFRadio.com Survival Preparedness Online Radio
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:50amHacking or removal of information ? That is the question !
Report Post »joe conservative
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:04amIt’s time for America to be done with all these “one world” organizations. We pay over 28% of the NATO budget, yet look how NATO treats us. Our investment gets us human rights violations investigations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUqKHTW5_Y
Report Post »Andrew
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:53amI imagine it’s because there is so much information that needs to be readily accessible to these people that they simply must have it all on a secure network so the information can all be stored in one place and accessed remotely.
Report Post »Okie from Muskogee
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:33pmI see this as a test of their system by “hackers”. Most money is digitized and could easily be manipulated by a good “hacker”.
Could this possibly be what is blamed for the dollar collapse? Some hacker hacks Federal Reserve and deletes all outstanding debt or digitizes so much money the dollar fails?
We all know the real reason for our worthless money and with so much opposition on all sides for doing so and with the Fed saying the whole time it’s the right thing to do, the Fed will need an escape goat whether it is true or not.
They tell you without telling you. Just a thought.
Report Post »Wyatt's Torch
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:34pmprobably the same “hackers” that “hacked” Weiner’s twitter account
Report Post »techengineer11
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:11pmPlease just send me my government ID or Mark and just stop with all the nonsensical bs.
Report Post »joe3
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:39pmquick, give them total control over what you can read on the net, those dangerous right wingers need to be silenced before 2012. its serious!!!!!!!!
Report Post »*************************
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 6:32pmIf THEIR BADGUYS didn’t do the hacking, then OUR BADGUYS did it. Remember, OUR BADGUYS will never waste a crisis … even if they must create it themselves.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:58pmWEDONT:
Report Post »You hit the nail on the head. Good job!!!!