Let the CyberWars begin...
Exchanges on high alert after hacker attack - FT
Nasdaq OMX, the global exchange operator said on Saturday that it had been targeted by hackers. There was a breach but that “at no point” were its trading platforms compromised.On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that hackers had “repeatedly” penetrated Nasdaq’s systems, and that US officials were investigating the attack.More recently the operators of Europe’s carbon emissions trading markets suspended business in their spot emissions contracts after the European Union said its carbon trading platform had come under attack from cyber-thieves.
Nasdaq targeted by hackers
By Telis Demos in New York and Joseph Menn in San Francisco
Published: February 5 2011 23:27 | Last updated: February 5 2011 23:27
Nasdaq OMX, the global exchange operator said on Saturday that it had been targeted by hackers. There was a breach but that “at no point” were its trading platforms compromised.On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that hackers had “repeatedly” penetrated Nasdaq’s systems, and that US officials were investigating the attack.
Nasdaq confirmed that “suspicious files” were detected on Directors Desk, a web application for companies to share documents remotely that is unrelated to its trading systems.
It also said that the US Department of Justice had requested that it not tell customers about the investigation until February 14.
The files were detected late last year, and Nasdaq says it immediately contacted forensic firms and US law enforcement agencies. The files were deleted and Nasdaq says there is “no evidence” that information on Directors Desk was accessed by hackers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York cybercrime unit, along with the US Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York is investigating the attack. Nasdaq said it is co-operating with officials on an ongoing inquiry.
Neither agency was available for comment.
Cybercrime against exchanges is a significant concern for government officials, who fear that a significant breach could spark a financial panic.
Nasdaq and other exchanges say their systems are frequently targeted, but have reported no major breaches. Last year, the London Stock Exchange investigated but dismissed the possibility that sabotage was at fault for a trading halt, ultimately blaming “human error”.
More recently the operators of Europe’s carbon emissions trading markets suspended business in their spot emissions contracts after the European Union said its carbon trading platform had come under attack from cyber-thieves.
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