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List:       best-of-security
Subject:    citibank penetration
From:       Julian Assange <proff () suburbia ! net>
Date:       1995-08-20 18:12:24
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Forwarded message:
>From sotmesc@datasync.com Mon Aug 21 03:52:31 1995
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 12:57:35 -0500
From: Frosty  <sotmesc@datasync.com>
Message-Id: <199508201757.MAA28804@osh1.datasync.com>
To: proff@suburbia.apana.org.au
Subject: CSP


RAGENT :::

Subject: (VOA) COMPUTER HACKER HELD

INTRO: CITIBANK, THE LARGEST BANK IN THE UNITED STATES, SAYS  
COMPUTER HACKERS ATTEMPTED TO STEAL ALMOST THREE MILLION DOLLARS  
FROM THE BANK. IN NEW YORK, VOA CORRESPONDENT BRECK ARDERY  
REPORTS THE ALLEGED FRAUD INVOLVES A RUSSIAN CITIZEN WHO IS NOW  
BEING HELD IN BRITAIN.


TEXT: CITIBANK SAYS THAT, A YEAR AGO, IT DISCOVERED A BREACH IN  
ITS CASH MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEM IN WHICH UNAUTHORIZED MONEY  
TRANSFERS WERE BEING MADE. THE BANK SAYS ABOUT 400 THOUSAND  
DOLLARS HAD BEEN LOST BEFORE THE ACTIVITY WAS UNCOVERED. WORKING  
WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, CITIBANK SAYS IT MANAGED TO TRACE
THE INTRUSION INTO ITS COMPUTER TO VLADIMIR LEVIN, A 24-YEAR OLD  
RUSSIAN CITIZEN WITH A DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS.


IT IS ALLEGED THAT MR. LEVIN WAS ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE  
CITIBANK COMPUTER SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES FROM HIS COMPUTER  
IN SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA. JOHN RUSSELL, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE  
U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, SAYS MR. LEVIN WAS ARRESTED IN LONDON  
LAST MARCH ON A COMPLAINT FROM THE UNITED STATES.

                                         ///RUSSELL ACT///


  HE IS ACCUSED OF LIFTING TWO POINT EIGHT MILLION (DOLLARS) FROM
CITIBANK, TRANSFERRING IT TO BANK ACCOUNTS IN CALIFORNIA AND  
ISRAEL. HE HAD AN EXTRADITION HEARING IN LONDON AND IT WAS  
CONTINUED UNTIL SEPTEMBER. HE REMAINS IN JAIL.


                                         ///END ACT///


IN A STATEMENT, CITIBANK SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ATTEMPTS  
TO STEAL TWO POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS, ONLY ABOUT 400 THOUSAND
DOLLARS WAS ACTUALLY LOST AS A RESULT OF THE COMPUTER BREACH.  IN
ADDITION TO MR. LEVIN, FIVE OTHER PEOPLE -- TWO IN THE UNITED  
STATES, TWO IN THE NETHERLANDS AND ONE IN ISRAEL -- HAVE BEEN  
CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ALLEGED FRAUD.


                                         ///REST OPT///


JEFFREY CUTLER, A SENIOR EDITOR AT THE "AMERICAN BANKER"  
NEWSPAPER, SAYS THIS WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME THAT COMPUTER  
HACKERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PENETRATE BANK SECURITY SYSTEMS.

                                         ///CUTLER ACT///


  THERE IS A WIDESPREAD ASSUMPTION THAT THERE ARE COMPUTER  
PROBLEMS, THERE IS SOME DEGREE OF FRAUD THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE  
BANKING SYSTEM. IT IS CONSIDERED 'WHITE COLLAR" (NON-VIOLENT)  
CRIME. SOME OF IT IS OCCURRING BECAUSE PEOPLE FIND WAYS TO  
MANIPULATE OR PENETRATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS.


                                           ///END ACT///


MR. CUTLER SAYS COMPUTER SECURITY IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR  
AMERICAN BANKERS AND THAT MAJOR BANKS ARE NOW COORDINATING  
SECURITY MEASURES WHILE MAINTAINING CLOSE TIES WITH INTERNATIONAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.  (SIGNED)


NEB/NY/BA/LSF/GPT    


* sotmesc@datasync.com    aka ---* Frosty, ilKhan of the SotMESC
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