The worst fears of security professionals have been realised with a hacker collective designed to target banks confirmed by LulzSec and Anonymous.
In a statement issued on its website, LulzSec wrote that it was launching Operation #Antisec, calling on hackers to target government databases and deface websites with the words Antisec.
"As we're aware, the government and white hat security terrorists across the world continue to dominate and control our Internet ocean," that group states in the posting.
"Top priority is to steal and leak any classified government information, including email spools and documentation."
"Prime targets are banks and other high-ranking establishments. If they try to censor our progress, we will obliterate the censor with cannon fire anointed with lizard blood."
While LulzSec has made headlines for harvesting 62,000 emails which included Australian university and government details, Anonymous has a history of targeting government organisations, particularly countries that have passed file sharing laws, such as New Zealand. In May, the New Zealand Parliament website was the subject of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack by Anonymous.
Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) chief executive, Steven Münchenberg, said in a statement that all banks’ security teams were aware of the issue and were reviewing the threat environment.
"It would be inappropriate to discuss any actions because it provides too much information to the criminal hackers," Münchenberg said. "Security and protection of customers’ funds are the bedrock of any banking business, so protection and prevention against threats of attack are issues with which banks are accustomed to dealing."
He added that all Australian banks work with police, at a Federal and State level, to prosecute criminals who misuse anyone’s financial information to commit crimes.
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