Kuwait busts large-scale cyber attacks

Cairo : Kuwait has foiled large-scale cyber attacks targeting telecommunication towers and banks in the country.

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said an international ring of Chinese nationals had been arrested over involvement in the attacks.
The case surfaced after authorities received reports from some telecommunications companies and banks that their networks were subjected to cyber attacks.
Investigations found that sophisticated electronic devices had enabled the six-member gang to hack into communication networks and send extensive fraudulent messages allegedly sent from some banks with the aim of stealing bank account data and seizing money.
Through signal tracking devices, security agencies identified the source of the signals to be coming from a vehicle in the Farwaniya area, south of Kuwait City.

“The security teams immediately moved to the specified location where the suspicious vehicle was spotted,” the ministry said in a statement.

“While approaching the vehicle, the mobile phone network was affected, with the sounds of electronic devices being heard from inside it. The driver, who is of Chinese nationality, was arrested, along with electronic devices,” it added in a statement.
The suspect admitted during interrogations to having participated with others in hacking into telecommunications networks and sending fraudulent messages impersonating banks and telecom companies with the aim of committing fraud.

The collaborators were identified and later arrested, the ministry said.

Biometric fingerprinting showed that the actual identities of the gangsters did not match the identities used in the cyber crime, exposing their involvement in forgery to hide their true identities and elude security authorities.