The modern bank heist is already under way


The image of the bank robber is hopelessly outdated. Today’s heist does not begin with a getaway car outside a branch. It begins quietly, with an adversary establishing persistence inside a financial institution’s network and studying how the organisation responds, says Tom Kellermann, VP of AI Security and Threat Research at Trend AI.

The objective is no longer simply to steal money. Attackers want access to the financial system itself: payment infrastructure, confidential market intelligence, investment strategies, customer identities and the mechanisms used to defend them. TrendAI’s Modern Bank Heists in 2026 research, based on a survey of 48 financial-sector CISOs, reveals the scale of this shift. Eighty-nine per cent reported an increase in AI-enabled attacks, while 55 per cent had experienced a rise in attacks against APIs. Almost half, 46pc, had encountered attempts to steal non-public market information or investment strategies.

Read more…
Source:  Trend Micro News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • DeadLock Ransomware: Smart Contracts for Malicious Purposes

    January 15, 2026

    DeadLock is a ransomware family discovered in July 2025. It is notable for not being associated with any known affiliate programs and for lacking a Data Leak Site (DLS). This, combined with the limited number of reported victims, has resulted in low exposure for the group. However, Group-IB specialists have discovered an interesting use of ...

  • Microsoft disrupts global cybercrime subscription service responsible for millions in fraud losses

    January 14, 2026

    Today, Microsoft is announcing a coordinated legal action in the United States and, for the first time, the United Kingdom to disrupt RedVDS, a global cybercrime subscription service fueling millions in fraud losses. These efforts are part of a broader joint operation with international law enforcement, including German authorities and Europol, which has allowed Microsoft and ...

  • Phishing scammers are posting fake “account restricted” comments on LinkedIn

    January 14, 2026

    Recently, fake LinkedIn profiles have started posting comment replies claiming that a user has “engaged in activities that are not in compliance” with LinkedIn’s policies and that their account has been “temporarily restricted” until they submit an appeal through a specified link in the comment. The accounts posting the comments all try to look like official ...

  • US cargo tech company publicly exposed its shipping systems and customer data to the web

    January 14, 2026

    For the past year, security researchers have been urging the global shipping industry to shore up their cyber defenses after a spate of cargo thefts were linked to hackers. The researchers say they have seen elaborate hacks targeting logistics companies to hijack and redirect large amounts of their customers’ products into the hands of criminals, in ...

  • Online shoppers at risk as Magecart skimming hits major payment networks

    January 14, 2026

    Researchers have been tracking a Magecart campaign that targets several major payment providers, including American Express, Diners Club, Discover, and Mastercard. Magecart is an umbrella term for criminal groups that specialize in stealing payment data from online checkout pages using malicious JavaScript, a technique known as web skimming. In the early days, Magecart started as a ...

  • Secure connectivity principles for Operational Technology (OT)

    January 14, 2026

    Operational technology (OT) environments – which have long been centred on safety, uptime, and operational continuity – are now more interconnected than ever. Driven by the need for increased efficiency, agility, and integration, these advancements offer significant operational benefits (such as real-time analytics, predictive maintenance and remote monitoring & administration), but they also introduce risks. Organisations ...