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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ibnanv" data-source="post: 19342080" data-attributes="member: 218596">Hacker holds UAE bank to ransom, demands $3mDUBAI A sinister cyber criminal has hacked into a Sharjah bank and is  now holding it to ransom by leaking confidential data of clients on  social networking and microblogging site Twitter every few hours, XPRESS  can reveal.The criminal who goes by the moniker Hacker Buba and  uses a stolen picture of a bank staff says he will not stop until the  bank pays him an undisclosed amount of ransom money in the digital  currency Bitcoin (explained below) by this weekend.True to his  word, he has been posting the account statements of government entities  and scores of UAE firms and individuals daily since November 18.On  November 23, the bank got Twitter  to suspend Hacker Buba’s account but  the reprieve was short-lived. The  following day, he created a new  identity and was back with a vengeance, uploading account statements of   500 bank customers in just one tweet attachment.Earlier, Hacker  Buba had sent warning text messages and emails to several bank  customers, saying their accounts were under his “control” and that they  must pay him directly or get their bank to do so failing which he would  release their bank statements online.Hours later he carried out the threat, creating panic among customers.The bank admitted the cyber attack and confirmed they have been sent a ransom note.“Yes,  there was a data breach and we have been contacted by Hacker Buba. He  is asking for money but I cannot reveal how much. This is blackmail. We  have reported the matter to UAE Central Bank. The Telecom Regulatory  Authority’s (TRA) Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT) is  investigating,” the bank’s chief financial and operating officer told  XPRESS.“We won’t give in to any extortion threat. In any case  there has been no financial loss. All what this man has is some customer  information and he’s trying to use it as a bargaining chip,” he added.Customers angryHowever,  customers  affected by the breach, possibly the worst in UAE’s history  are horrified and angry. “This is far more serious than what it’s made  out to  appear. I feel naked as my entire company stands exposed. Our  financial transactions, client details, everything is on a public  platform,” said the finance officer of an investment firm in Dubai.The  owner of an Abu Dhabi based contracting company said the damage to his  business was ‘irreversible’ while the director of a Sharjah-based food  industries firm blamed the bank for lax cyber security.Many companies and individuals didn’t even know their personal details had been posted online until XPRESS called them.“I am shocked beyond disbelief. At least the bank could have informed us,” said the founder of a real estate firm in Dubai.It’s  not clear how the hacker  broke into the bank’s computers. In a direct  message to this journalist via Twitter, Hacker Buba claimed he is  seeking $3 million and has access to the bank database and back up files  from all its servers.“Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly  popular because of the vulnerabilities in the system architect. Banks  need to invest in systems that talk to each other intelligently. The key  word here is integration. A system that is integrated from the security  perspective prevents hacking and allows one to act in real time in case  of a cyber attack,” said Hamed Diab, regional director MENA, Intel  SecurityAnother cyber security expert said it’s nearly impossible  to trace such hackers as they are experts in covering their digital  footprints and creating fake trails. “Hacker Buba’s Twitter location  points to a county in Hungary, his previous posts are in Indonesian  language while the SMS sent to customers were from a cellphone with a UK  number,” the expert said.What are Bitcoins?Bitcoin  is a an electronic alternative to cash currency for paying over the  Web. No one controls it. Bitcoins aren’t printed, like dollars or euros.  The thing that makes it different to conventional money, is that it is  decentralised.  Of late, the use of bitcoin by criminals has the  attention of financial regulators, legislative bodies, law enforcement  and media.Hacker tries to bribe XPRESS EditorHacker  Buba offered this journalist five per cent of the total ransom amount  to cooperate with him. “I give u 5 % from total I get. Have many banks  from UAE, Qater, ksa and etc. Will work together,” he said in a direct  message on twitter.</blockquote>

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