New York, NY (BBN)- A well-known Russian gang has been linked to the February theft of more than $80 million in funds managed by the Federal Reserve in Bangladesh, reports the Washington Examiner.
Malware used in the attack has been linked to the Dridex gang, according to unnamed sources speaking with Bloomberg on Friday. The group, which operates out of Russia and other former Soviet satellite states, is known for the eponymous Dridex malware, which specializes in stealing banking information through Microsoft products and email campaigns.
Experts have said the malware is also similar to a product used by North Korea in the 2014 attack on Sony Studios, indicating the two-year-old software could now be available on the black market.
It was discovered in February that thieves made off with $101 million by hacking about a dozen banks in Southeast Asia and making their way into the "Swift" network, a global payment system used to transfer funds between financial institutions. More than $80 million came from accounts that the Fed manages on behalf of the central bank in Bangladesh.
The House Science Committee initiated an investigation into the issue earlier this month, with members questioning how U.S. financial regulators are defending against breaches of the Swift network that occur in countries with weaker cybersecurity practices.
As of February, security firm Symantec reported, Dridex was capable of harvesting banking credentials from customers of about 300 financial institutions in more than 40 countries and was sending out millions of malicious spam emails daily in an effort to increase its range.
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