While hackers have been targeting retail stores over the past few months, it appears they haven't given up on banks.
The FBI is investigating a data breach into JPMorgan and possibly several other banks, according to The Wall Street Journal. JPMorgan is the largest bank in the US and the sixth largest in the world, according to Forbes.
While information on the timing and reach of the hack is scant, sources familiar with the probe told the Journal that the investigation began earlier this month. It's believed the breach may have been caused by hackers injecting malware into a JPMorgan employee's personal computer. It's possible that between two and five US banks have been affected.
Banks have long been a target for cybercriminals, who are after customer financials and data. JPMorgan spokeswoman Trish Wexler told CNET that the financial services company battles hackers constantly.
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"Companies of our size unfortunately experience cyber attacks nearly every day," Wexler said. "We have multiple, layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels."
This breach is just one of many to rock the cyber world over the past few months. Retail giant Target said in December that hackers obtained credit card data for more than 110 million customers who shopped in its stores late last year. And, over the past few months, arts and crafts retail chain Michaels Stores, department store Neiman Marcus, and restaurant chain P.F. Chang's revealed they were victims of security breaches aimed at stealing customer's credit card information.
Several US banks were hit with online attacks earlier this year, including Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and HSBC. Government officials believe these attacks originated from Iran. Rather than looking to steal customer data, these were distributed denial-of-service attacks that temporarily shut down the banks' websites.
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