Hackers attack US banking In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES: A shadowy but well-organised hacker group in the Middle East has disrupted the electronic banking operations of America's largest financial institutions in recent days, underscoring US vulnerability to online terrorism.

A group identifying itself as Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters attacked the websites of Wells Fargo, US Bancorp and Bank of America. The strikes left customers temporarily unable to see their accounts, mortgages and other services.

The banks said account and personal information for their tens of millions of online and mobile customers were not compromised. Still, experts said the size and ferociousness of the attacks highlight the broader threat posed by electronic crime and the susceptibility of financial targets.

Of particular concern is that the attackers used the internet to warn the institutions ahead of time - but the banks still could not repel the assaults.
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''The banks put a lot of effort into cyber security. But they're so desirable as a target, even with all that effort they still have problems,'' said James Lewis, an expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. ''If you can pull together enough resources, you can overwhelm any defence temporarily.''

The attacks on banks began last week on the largest institutions in the country: JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America. They spread to Wells Fargo on Tuesday and US Bank on Wednesday. Another attack has been threatened against PNC Financial Services.

The US government and banks have been working feverishly to learn more about the attackers before they strike again.

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam is the name of the military wing of Hamas, the political party that governs the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday the group posted a manifesto on the internet saying attacks would continue until a video insulting the prophet Muhammad was removed from the internet.