Citigroup reveals attack by hackers
Source: Agencies |
June 10, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HACKERS breached Citigroup Inc's network and accessed the data of about 200,000 bank card holders in North America in the latest of a string of cyber attacks on high-profile companies, it has been revealed.
Citi said the names of customers, account numbers and contact information, including email addresses, were viewed in the breach, which the Financial Times said was discovered by the bank in early May.
However, Citi said other information such as birth dates, social security numbers, card expiration dates and card security codes were not compromised.
"We are contacting customers whose information was impacted. Citi has implemented enhanced procedures to prevent a recurrence of this type of event," said Sean Kevelighan, a United States-based spokesman.
"For the security of these customers, we are not disclosing further details."
The bank did not say how the breach had occurred.
Citi said it had discovered the unauthorized access at Citi Account Online, an online banking service, through routine monitoring.
Another Citi spokesman, James Griffiths in Hong Kong, said that the breach had affected around 1 percent of its North American card customers, who, according to the bank's annual report says total 21 million.
But like Japanese electronics and entertainment group Sony, which has declared several security breaches of its networks this year, Citi could come under fire for not telling customers sooner.
"It may be the bank's business, but it's the consumer's personal information so consumers deserve to be told about security breaches immediately," said Dan Simpson, a spokesman for Australia's Consumer Action Law Centre.
"It's hard to see any reason why this sort of breach couldn't have been disclosed much sooner."
Citigroup joins a growing list of companies that have suffered cyber attacks.
Data storage firm EMC Ltd this week offered to replace millions of electronic keys after hackers used data from its RSA security division to break into the network of arms supplier and information technology provider Lockheed Martin.
Sony has reported several attacks, including one in which hackers accessed personal information on 77 million PlayStation Network and Qriocity accounts.
Sony was criticized for a delay in telling account holders that their information had been stolen by hackers.
Google Inc last week revealed a major attack on its Gmail accounts targeting, among others, senior US government officials.
Citi said the names of customers, account numbers and contact information, including email addresses, were viewed in the breach, which the Financial Times said was discovered by the bank in early May.
However, Citi said other information such as birth dates, social security numbers, card expiration dates and card security codes were not compromised.
"We are contacting customers whose information was impacted. Citi has implemented enhanced procedures to prevent a recurrence of this type of event," said Sean Kevelighan, a United States-based spokesman.
"For the security of these customers, we are not disclosing further details."
The bank did not say how the breach had occurred.
Citi said it had discovered the unauthorized access at Citi Account Online, an online banking service, through routine monitoring.
Another Citi spokesman, James Griffiths in Hong Kong, said that the breach had affected around 1 percent of its North American card customers, who, according to the bank's annual report says total 21 million.
But like Japanese electronics and entertainment group Sony, which has declared several security breaches of its networks this year, Citi could come under fire for not telling customers sooner.
"It may be the bank's business, but it's the consumer's personal information so consumers deserve to be told about security breaches immediately," said Dan Simpson, a spokesman for Australia's Consumer Action Law Centre.
"It's hard to see any reason why this sort of breach couldn't have been disclosed much sooner."
Citigroup joins a growing list of companies that have suffered cyber attacks.
Data storage firm EMC Ltd this week offered to replace millions of electronic keys after hackers used data from its RSA security division to break into the network of arms supplier and information technology provider Lockheed Martin.
Sony has reported several attacks, including one in which hackers accessed personal information on 77 million PlayStation Network and Qriocity accounts.
Sony was criticized for a delay in telling account holders that their information had been stolen by hackers.
Google Inc last week revealed a major attack on its Gmail accounts targeting, among others, senior US government officials.
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