The journalist Caesar Hildebrandt criticized the security management of Interbank after learning that the bank had held a negotiation with a hacker, who demanded payments in cryptocurrencies so as not to disclose confidential information. According to Rafael Hidalgo, in his column in the newspaper Expreso, the attacker, presumably of Russian origin, contacted Carlos Rodriguez Pastor, president and main shareholder of the bank, and Fernando Zavala, vice president and CEO of Intercorp Peru.
The communications, maintained for 20 days and without the knowledge of the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS), would have discussed preliminary payments of up to $4 million in cryptocurrencies to avoid the disclosure of sensitive information. This scenario raises serious questions about the security practices of the third largest bank in the Peruvian financial system.
“It is incredible that a bank the size of Interbank, which is the third largest bank, is so vulnerable. They are not investing in security. If they invested 1% of what they earn in security, this couldn’t happenry this should not happen,” Hildebrandt said.
In addition, he questioned the lack of preventive measures and highlighted that the magnitude of the damage has yet to be determined. This case highlights the growing need for a solid investment in cybersecurity in the financial sector, especially in a context where cyber attacks and threats are increasingly common.
Interbank: exposed information does not compromise security
In a statement published on LinkedIn on October 31, Carlos Tori, general manager of Interbank, addressed the events that occurred, when a unidentified third party disclosed data on a group of clients with the intention of extort the bank. Tori said that while these types of incidents are deplorablesare situations that the financial sector faces worldwide, despite having high security standards.
The general manager also addressed customers who experienced interruptions in the bank’s services, ensuring that Interbank was already operating normally. He explained that, although a temporary interruption between noon and 2 p.m. to update the systems, the situation had become normal. In addition, Tori guaranteed that the information exposed does not put clients’ accounts or financial products at risk, reiterating the bank’s commitment to deposit security.
