Cybercriminals have stolen 1.37 billion rubles ($22 million) from Russian banks since last May, Russia's Central Bank announced Tuesday.
The figures come from a report marking the first-year anniversary of the Central Bank's cyber-space monitoring service FinCERT, created specifically to prevent the spread of cybercrime.
FinCERT recorded 20 major cyber attacks on Russian banks from May 2015 to June 2016, with criminals attempting to steal a total of 2.87 billion rubles ($45 million.)
Phishing websites and fake SMS and email messages claiming to be from FinCERT formed the basis of many of the attacks, along with ATM theft.
Roughly 100 million rubles ($1.5 million) has been stolen through ATMs and point-of-sale terminals since November 2015, using such as card reading devices at payment points in restaurants and stores.
FinCERT representatives warned holders of the national Mir payment card last month that the cards may be vulnerable to cyber attacks. The card was introduced to cut Russia's reliance on foreign firms like Visa and MasterCard.
The Central Bank and Ministry of Finance have also proposed changes in federal laws which would allow them greater powers to combat individual cases of cybercrime, according to the report.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
