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We found some strange transactions in the SWIFT system (where banks internationally remit their transactions to other countries). There we realized that the virus was not necessarily the underlying issue, but apparently wanted to defraud the bank.The attack forced the bank to take a total of 9,000 workstations offline. Even so, this measure didn't prevent bad actors from conducting four fraudulent transactions sometime thereafter. Those interactions made off with $10 million under the institution's control and did not affect customers' funds.
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We regret the inconveniences this situation generated. We continue working, in conjunction with local and international advisors, in order to standardize all of our products and services, always with the highest priority to maintain security, although this may temporarily cause a decrease in the quality of service.It's unclear how the virus made it onto Banco de Chile's systems and preyed upon it using the SWIFT network. But this isn't the first time bad actors have used SWIFT to target financial institutions. Less than five months previously, unknown criminals abused the SWIFT network to steal 339.5 million rubles ($6 million) from the Central Bank of Russia in 2017. These attacks highlight the need for financial organizations to strengthen their digital security. Tripwire can help in this regard.