Scottish financial services industry told to be on guard
against terrorists targeting computer networks
Scotland on Sunday
Major structural changes resulting from the financial crisis present opportunities for thieves both inside and outside companies.
Figures from the CBI show that financial crime costs the UK about £20 billion a year, with individuals losing at least £2.75bn.
Disgruntled former employees supplying information to criminals or low-paid staff being bribed or blackmailed into handing over data are among the key risks, the SFCG will warn at its annual conference on (last) Thursday.
Electronic – or "cyber" – crime will also be on the agenda, with security experts exploring the threat of "cybergeddon", a term coined by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to describe a terrorist attack on computer infrastructure.
Senior FBI figures have described "cybergeddon" as the third greatest threat to the United States, behind the use of weapons of mass destruction or conventional bombs.
The FBI is worried that terrorists may try to destroy computer networks, crippling the financial markets and even bringing down public utilities that rely on electronic networks to control power distribution.
