--Cyber Thieves Stole US $40 Million from Small and Mid-Sized Businesses (October 26, 2009) The FBI says that since 2004, cyber thieves believed to be based in Eastern Europe have stolen US $40 million from small and mid-sized US businesses. The thieves use spam to infect the companies' computers with malware that steals online banking credentials, then transfer funds in amounts below the US $10,000 threshold that triggers alerts. The FBI is acknowledging the trend in the hope that companies become aware of the threat and put security safeguards in place. For instance, companies can protect themselves from cyber thieves by conducting online banking transactions on dedicated, locked-down machines. Larger banks have adopted anti-fraud technology to detect anomalous transaction patterns. The companies hardest hit by the fraud, meaning those least likely to recover funds, often use small and regional banks that lack the fraud detection mechanisms of the larger institutions. In some cases, very small banks have prevented fraudulent transactions because they know their customers personally and are alert to behavior that seems out of the character.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/fbi_cyber_gangs_stole_40mi.html
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