CISSP Training Guide

Case Study: The Russian Hack Attack

SCENARIO

ESSENCE OF THE CASE This case is an interesting one. The essence of the case involves the following: Strong encryption and other security measurers did not prevent the hackers from success. Social engineering and common knowledge assisted the attack. A customer alerted the bank to the problem. Proper intrusion response practices stopped the attackers from being successful.

In 1994 Vladimir Levin of St. Petersburg, Russia was able to hack into Citibank and steal $12 million. He set up illicit funds transfers to banks in Israel, San Francisco, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and the Caribbean. He hired others to visit the banks to withdraw the money. How did he do this? The security at ...