‘Jobseeking’ hackers sent emails to BB officials before $81m heist

M Humayun Kabir: US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a group of North Korean hackers intruded into the Bangladesh Bank’s computer network through job applications online.
The hackers emailed to the Bangladesh Bank and other commercial banks in the country with job applications and zip files full of malwares to take control of Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) networking that facilitates secured international exchange of payment worldwide, according to the FBI’s 179-page investigation, reports Prothom Alo.
The US investigators found “Park Jin Hyok” behind $81 million cyber heist from Bangladesh’s central bank.
On September 6, the Los Angeles’ federal court charged the North Korean government with devastating cyberattacks across the world including the BB heist.
The North Korean ring entered into the SWIFT network through the malwares and pilfered Tk 6.8 billion from the central bank making fake offer to the Federal Reserve Bank of US.
A certain Rassel Aslam sent emails on August 11, 2015 to 25 officials of other Bangladeshi banks with job applications and malware files, said the report.
As per the investigation, the emails were opened from three computers of Bangladesh Bank and feedback emails were sent from two of the computers.
In March 2015, the ring took control of the three computers of the central bank and entered into the SWIFT live network on January 29, 2016.
Contacted, Bangladesh Bank officials said the FBI investigation has opened new window for Bangladesh as those who were involved with the hack have now been identified.
Bangladesh is preparing to file a case against the accused.
However, no progress was found in the case filed in Bangladesh over the issue two and half years into the incident.
The authorities did not even take any action as yet despite investigation of a government-formed body over the matter.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is investigating into the matter.
“We haven’t finished the investigation yet. So far we have found some of the Bangladesh Bank officials behind the incident. We are trying to contact Sri Lankan police as part of the investigation.”
CID police superintendent Molla Nazrul Islam on Tuesday said, “We are even trying to collect the FBI investigation documents. We can find something new in the investigation.”