Skip to main content

Citibank hacked, more than 200,000 bank customers at risk

Citibank
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hackers have successfully infiltrated the servers of Citigroup and stolen bank card data of more than 200,000, reports Reuters. The bank admitted to the breach in a report today from the Financial Times, but the hack apparently took place early last month.

Recommended Videos

The server break-in reportedly gave the hackers access to account numbers, customer names and contact information. Other vital information, like birthdays, social security numbers, card expiration dates and card security codes (CVV), was not accessed by the hackers.  According to one Citi spokesman, the breach affected 1 percent of all North American customers, which total 21 million.

“We are contacting customers whose information was impacted. Citi has implemented enhanced procedures to prevent a recurrence of this type of event,” Sean Kevelighan, a U.S.-based spokesman, told Reuters by email. “For the security of these customers, we are not disclosing further details.”

The hack on Citigroup is the most recent in a surge of high-profile hacks launched against major institutions. In April, hackers broke into the servers of Sony, which resulted in the complete shutdown of its PlayStation Network for a month and put as much as 100 million customers worldwide at risk of identity theft. Sony says it believes this attack was carried out by now-infamous hacktivist group Anonymous, who has denied any involvement.

In the just past few weeks, a new hacker group known as LulzSec or Lulz Security has waged a hacking war against any entity that irks them. This includes posting a fake story about deceased rapper Tupac Shakur being alive on the PBS.org website, multiple attacks on Sony and none other than a group tightly affiliated with the FBI known as Infragard Atlanta. It remains unknown whether either Anonymous or LulzSec were responsible for the Citi breach.

Fortunately, recent reports indicate that the FBI has thoroughly infiltrated the hackers’ underworld, so much so that one in four US-based hackers are said to be FBI informants. Apparently, that’s not nearly enough.

Topics
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
You can now view all of your ChatGPT-generated images in one place
ChatGPT library promotion video.

OpenAI did text generation and image generation separately for quite a while, but that all changed a couple of weeks ago when it added image capabilities directly into ChatGPT. Now, a small but powerful Quality of Life update gives users access to an image library where they can see all of the insane things they've created.

https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1912255254512722102

Read more
Don’t miss the chance to buy a 2TB Samsung SSD for only $130
The Samsung 990 Evo Plus SSD 2TB on a white background.

If you're building a new PC or thinking of upgrading your computer's storage, you're going to want to set your sights on the Samsung 990 Evo Plus SSD. The 2TB model, which originally sells for $177, is currently on sale from Samsung itself with a $47 discount, so you'll only have to pay $130. The demand for SSD deals is always high, so we don't think this offer will last long. If you want to take advantage of it, you're going to have to proceed with your transaction for this Samsung SSD immediately.

Why you should buy the Samsung 990 Evo Plus SSD 2TB

Read more
Patreon’s planned new services could make it a proper Twitch rival
A complete RODE X streaming setup,

Patreon has long provided a space for creatives in much the same way Twitch has, but with different connotations. Twitch is usually viewed as being strictly for gaming (although that isn't the case), while Patreon caters to a more artistic subset. The company just announced plans to launch a livestreaming service this summer that could position it as a true rival to Twitch, and it's currently undergoing extensive testing.

Patreon says it hopes the feature can "boost real-time fan engagement and provide new experiences to encourage free-to-paid member conversion." It's an ideal option for users that want to create video-based content, whether that's streaming their favorite video game or providing tutorials on specific crafts.

Read more