Published On: Sun, Jul 22nd, 2012

Dahabshiil denies Anonymous behind cyber-attack

DAHABSHIIL, the international funds transfer company based in the Middle East, says Anonymous was not responsible for the attack on its banking systems.

A group claiming to be Anonymous published thousands of account numbers, names and details online and threatened it would commit “global internet destruction” if Dahabshiil did not publicly confess to aiding terrorism.

The hackers claimed it had installed “cyber bombs” within financial institutions around the world and threatened to trigger them if the Dahabshiil did not confess within two months.

However, Dahabshiil told News.com.au: “Following our initial investigation into the cyber-attack, we now believe that earlier reports attributing the action to a particular protest group were inaccurate and exaggerated.”

It said it was not in a position yet to verify the identity of the individuals behind the hack.

“Naturally we will keep all customers fully updated.”

“Safeguarding our customers is of paramount importance to Dahabshiil and we will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that we identify those responsible.

Dahabshiil said that it “places the highest importance on its compliance procedures and has policies in place which are approved by the relevant authorities, including the FSA in the UK”.

The hackers claiming responsibility for the attack posted documents on Google Plus highlighting associations with other banking networks including Barclay’s in the UK and Ernst & Young in the US.

Passport pictures, banking transactions and other documents were also posted online.

The hackers posted a statement on tech blog, Slashdot, in which it declared an “official war on terror”.

The group said the bank had two months to come forward or expect a “global internet destruction”.

“if you want us to immediately stop this cyber-sabotage, it’s quite easy,” they wrote.

“We just ask you to stop lying, to recognise your help with Somaliaterror, and to officially change your behavior.

“We need a public message from you, as a proof.

“This is a call for actions of monitoring and/or destruction of companies and institutions that do work with terrorists, rogue countries, etc.”

The attackers said that WikiLeaks documents had revealed the Dahabshiil bank had provided direct financial support to al-Qaeda, Al Wafa and other terrorist organisations. It posted documents on Google plus that highlighted associations with other banking networks including Barclay’s in the UK and Ernst & Young in theUS.

They claimed to have stolen documents from and destroyed “work stations” in Australia, Kenya, USA, UK,Sweden, Somalia and Dubai. It also said it had hidden “cyber-bombs” in banking networks around the world and that it has attacked routers, firewalls and satellites that would protect banking systems from protecting financial networks.

The hackers signed off the statement with their slogan “we are Anonymous, we are legion”.

Dahabshiil initially condemned Anonymous for claiming to breach “the privacy of hardworking, responsible individuals”, and wholeheartedly denied the allegations.

“The claims from Anonymous that connections exist between our business and known terrorist organisations are quite simply wrong,” a spokesperson told News.com.au.

“We have never been the subject of any investigation in relation to alleged terrorist funding and we have no involvement whatsoever with money laundering or the funding of terrorist organisations.

“Consequently, we call on Anonymous to withdraw its untrue allegations immediately.

“Dahabshiil places the highest importance on its compliance procedures and has extensive anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing policies in place which are approved by the relevant regulators, including the FSA in the UK.

“All staff receive extensive and continuous training in this regard.

“We have started a thorough investigation of Anonymous’ attack and will keep all customers fully updated.

“Safeguarding our customers’ funds is of paramount importance to Dahabshiil. We will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities as we proceed.”

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/war-on-terror-anonymous-hacks-middle-eastern-bank/story-e6frfro0-1226430985426#ixzz21K2Djj2M


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There have been no elections in Somalia since 1967 and there won’t be any this year either. But the country has a new parliament (appointed on the advice of clan elders) who have elected a new president, and the new government actually now controls a significant part of the country. The world’s only fully “failed state” may finally be starting to return to normality.A failed state is a horrendous thing: no government, no army, no police, no courts, no law, just bands of armed men taking what they want. Somalia has been like that for more than 20 years, but now there is hope. So much hope that last month the United Nations Security Council partially lifted its embargo on arms sales to Somalia in order to let the new Somali government buy arms, and last week the U.S. government followed suit.The new government replaces the “Transitional Federal Government”, another unelected body that had enjoyed the support of the UN and the African Union for eight pointless years. Then last year a World Bank report demonstrated the sheer scale of its corruption: seven out of every ten dollars of foreign aid vanished into the pockets of TFG officials before reaching the state’s coffers.Fully a quarter of the “national budget” was being absorbed by the offices of the president, the vice-president and the speaker of parliament. The fact that after all that the TFG still only controlled about one square kilometre (less than one square mile) of Mogadishu, the capital, while the rest of the shattered city was run by the Islamist al-Shabaab militia, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, also contributed to the international disillusionment.That tiny patch of ground, moreover, was being defended not by Somali troops but by thousands of Ugandan and Burundian soldiers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Unisom). More than 500 of them had lost their lives defending the useless TFG, and the foreign donors were losing faith in the mission. 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No other country recognizes its independence at the moment, but it used to be a British colony, quite separate from Italian-ruled Somalia, and in principle it can make exactly the same case for independence as Eritrea did when it broke away from Ethiopia.The worst problem facing President Mohamud is the venal and cunning politicians who have exploited the clan loyalties that pervade every aspect of Somali life to carve out their own little empires. Some are frankly and unashamedly warlords; others, including all the senior officials in the defunct TFG, masquerade as national politicians but work for their own interests.They have not gone away, nor have the clan rivalries that kept the fighting going for 21 years. Drawing up the rules and sharing out the power for a new federal Somalia (none of which has yet been decided) will give them plenty of opportunities to make trouble for the new president and regain their former power. Mohamud definitely has his work cut out for him.Nevertheless, he has strong UN and African Union support, and he now has a chance to create a spreading zone of peace in the country and start rebuilding national institutions. So last week the United States declared that it was now willing to provide military aid, including arms exports, to Somalia. Weirdly, that actually means that thing are looking up in the world’s only failed state.Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.