The hacker or hackers known as Phineas Fisher breached the offshore bank, Cayman National Bank, stole money and documents and offered other hackers $100,000 to carry out hacking attacks on politicians. The bank has confirmed that it has suffered a data breach.
"It is known that Cayman National Bank (Isle of Man) Limited was among a list of banks that were targeted and subject to the same hacking activity," a bank spokesperson said.
"A criminal investigation is ongoing and Cayman National is working with the relevant law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators of the data theft. Cayman National takes this data security breach and a dedicated judicial investigation is underway with appropriate action being taken to ensure the protection of Cayman National's Isle of Man bank and trust customers," the statement said.
The statement does not specifically name the Phineas Fisher hacking group, but says the bank fell victim to a "criminal hacking group."
“I robbed a bank and gave away the money,” the Phineas Fisher hacking group wrote of their latest feat, adding that they breached the bank in 2016. “Computer hacking is a powerful tool in the fight against economic inequality.” In its statement, Cayman National claimed it had found no evidence of financial loss to either its customers or the business.
Phineas Fisher published stolen documents and emails from the bank on the website Distributed Denial of Secrets, run by activist Emma Best.
“The global financial elite are oppressors, not victims […] Hacking this elite and returning some of the wealth they have stolen does not make them victims”Phineas Fisher has previously said. “Our action is considered cybercrime ,it is also considered activism, it is driven by a desire for social change, we do not personally benefit from it.”
