There’s been a related series of attacks on “soft targets” reported in the USA against small businesses, local governments, school districts and charitable organizations. Hackers target the persons and systems involved with paying suppliers, set up bogus ones, and start making payments to “money mules” who channel the money back to organized crime bosses. See Melih’s comments and suggestions on this threat:
Small Businesses Under Attack
Schools Hacked, Students and Taxpayers Lose
My brother-in-law is an executive with a large charitable agency in Western New York state. I sent him an e-mail yesterday alerting him to this threat, which now seems to be taking on “crime wave” proportions. If you’ve got any friends or relatives running small businesses, in local government, a school system or charitable agency, do them a favor and let them know about it. Brian Krebs of the Washington Post newspaper broke this story and is following it. Here’s his Security Fix column on how schools are being targeted by hackers.