Banks targeted in Windows hack attack

Malicious attackers in Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands tried to use a vulnerability in Windows to break into some of Australia's largest financial institutions, including at least three banks, over the Anzac weekend, according to the Atlanta-based security firm, Internet Security Systems. In a media release, ISS managing director Kim Duffy said the attacks were picked up by ISS's Global Threat Operations Centre late on Thursday evening. He said that by 8am on Friday the attacks had escalated significantly "and by lunch time we became aware that hackers were trying to infiltrate many of Australia’s largest financial institutions."

He said that although many were already protected by ISS, he alerted the institutions "and, as a courtesy, we also faxed Australia's top 500 private and top 500 public companies."

The vulnerability which was targeted by the attackers was, coincidentally, discovered by ISS and notified to Microsoft in September last year. It was one of 14 sealed by the patch issued along with Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011 on April 13.

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