Suspected Russian hackers launched a cyber attack on Wall Street firms such as JP Morgan Chase this month. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading the investigation while other federal agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA) are reportedly helping in the case.
Retaliation Over Sanctions
Bloomberg News earlier reported that Russian hackers allegedly committed the crime as a virtual retaliatory strike against the U.S. government's action of imposing sanctions against Russia. The sanctions were imposed in response to Russia's alleged role in the current unrest in Ukraine.
In the same Bloomberg report, the U.S. government believes that this virtual attack has the blessing of the Russian government due to the seemingly sophisticated hacking method used.
It is believed that JP Morgan Chase was a specific target because it stopped a Russian embassy payment to a certain bank.
A spokesperson from JP Morgan replied to a Bloomberg interview that cyber attacks against their bank is a daily occurrence and that the bank has ample cyber security to deter such attacks.
Russian hackers were also thought to be behind the various cyber attacks on former Soviet Republics of Estonia and Georgia. The hacking attacks began when the two countries clashed with Russia.
Russian Mastermind
The Telegraph posted a report that Evgeniy Bogachev, a Russian hacker may have a hand in the recent cyber attack on Wall Street. He allegedly runs the largest network of cyber criminals in the world. It is believe that he is operating his cyber network in the comforts of his home at the Black Sea coast in Russia.
He is currently on the "most wanted" poster of the FBI. Cyber attacks from Russian hackers are believed to be rising especially now that the relationship between the United States and Russia has suffered because of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
