Hackers Attack Websites of Brazilian Banks

The website of Brazil's biggest state-run bank was taken down from the Internet on Wednesday by hackers. It also shut down the online operations of the country's top private bank. 

 

Clients of Itau and Bradesco were unable to log on to their online accounts earlier this week after Internet hackers announced a week-long protest against corruption in Brazil.

 

[Bruno Rossini, Internet Safety Expert]:

"The banks have been admitting that their websites are offline because this doesn't pose any safety risks to their website. The banks invest heavily in protecting their infrastructure and especially their clients' (accounts) and the banks are safe. What we have been seeing is that they found a space to protest."

 

But some clients were unhappy. 

 

[Alexandre Ribeiro, Bank Client]:

"The customer always ends up paying the price and that is the biggest problem."

 

[Bernardo Simoes, Bank Client]: 

"The banks don't have anything to do with it (corruption). They should attack other websites because banks are not responsible, neither are their clients.”

 

The action was announced on Twitter by the group Anonymous Brazil, a hacker organization that plans to attack a different bank each day of the week.