How carbanak Gang Heist hack over 1billion dollar from bank account

Another notable real-life example of a hacker pulling off a massive financial heist is the **Carbanak Gang Attack**, also known as the **Carbanak APT (Advanced Persistent Threat)**. This series of cyberattacks spanned several years, starting in 2013, and is estimated to have stolen over $1 billion from various banks, financial institutions, and ATMs worldwide.

### The Carbanak Gang Heist

#### **Overview**

The Carbanak Gang, a group of cybercriminals based in Eastern Europe, conducted a highly sophisticated campaign targeting banks in over 30 countries. They used advanced techniques to infiltrate banks' internal networks, manipulate their systems, and steal massive amounts of money. Unlike typical attacks, they aimed directly at the bank’s infrastructure, manipulating it to steal money without alerting customers.

#### **How the Attack Happened**

1. **Initial Infiltration: Spear Phishing Attack**:

   - The Carbanak gang began their attack by sending spear phishing emails to employees of targeted banks.

   - These emails contained malicious attachments, often disguised as legitimate files, such as resumes or invoices.

   - When the employees opened these attachments, malware was installed on their computers, giving the attackers remote access to the bank’s network.

2. **Establishing Persistence and Reconnaissance**:

   - Once inside, the hackers installed additional malware called **Carbanak**, which allowed them to move laterally through the bank’s network.

   - They carefully studied how the bank operated, observing how employees conducted their daily tasks, including money transfers, cashier systems, and ATM management.

   - The attackers recorded videos of bank employees' activities to understand the workflow and identify vulnerabilities they could exploit.

3. **Manipulating Internal Systems**:

   - The hackers used their understanding of the bank's systems to manipulate and control various financial operations. They executed the following key tactics:

     - **Transfer Manipulation**: They altered internal payment processing systems to transfer money to their accounts in different countries, usually under the guise of legitimate transactions.

     - **Inflating Bank Balances**: They increased balances in specific accounts before withdrawing the excess funds, making the transactions look legitimate.

     - **ATM Manipulation**: In some cases, they took control of ATMs, remotely commanding them to dispense cash at specific times, allowing mules (collaborators) to collect the money physically.

4. **Money Laundering**:

   - The stolen funds were quickly laundered through various channels, including cryptocurrency exchanges, fake companies, and networks of mules.

   - The gang used false identities and layered transactions to cover their tracks, making it extremely difficult for authorities to trace the money back to them.

5. **Covering Tracks**:

   - Carbanak malware was designed to be stealthy, altering logs and deleting evidence of unauthorized transactions.

   - They maintained a low profile, stealing moderate amounts per transaction to avoid triggering alarms and automatic fraud detection systems.

#### **Impact of the Attack**

- **Global Financial Loss**: It is estimated that Carbanak attacks affected over 100 banks and financial institutions worldwide, resulting in losses of around $1 billion.

- **Banks as Direct Targets**: Unlike traditional cyber heists that target customers, Carbanak directly attacked the bank's own infrastructure, proving that even secure systems could be exploited.

#### **Key Lessons from the Carbanak Heist**

1. **Advanced Malware and Social Engineering**: The attack demonstrated how sophisticated malware combined with social engineering can bypass traditional security measures.

   

2. **Insider Knowledge and Reconnaissance**: The Carbanak gang’s deep understanding of bank operations allowed them to execute precise and stealthy attacks, showcasing the importance of monitoring internal activities.

3. **Importance of Cybersecurity Training**: Employee awareness and training on phishing and spear phishing attacks are crucial in preventing such breaches.

4. **Need for Real-Time Monitoring and Anomaly Detection**: Banks need advanced real-time monitoring systems to detect unusual activities quickly. Carbanak’s ability to manipulate systems without immediate detection highlighted weaknesses in conventional security protocols.

5. **Secure Remote Access Controls**: The attackers exploited remote access tools, emphasizing the need for robust access controls, multi-factor authentication, and strict monitoring of remote access activities.

### **Conclusion**

The Carbanak heist is one of the most sophisticated and successful cybercrime operations against financial institutions. It highlights how even the most secure systems can be vulnerable to well-planned and executed attacks. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for comprehensive cybersecurity strategies that include employee training, advanced threat detection, and continuous security assessments to protect against evolving threats.