Spoof Shuts Down Fed Website

SAN FRANCISCO - (09/27/05) – FinCen, the federalgovernment’s central repository for criminal financialinformation, became the latest government agency to have itswebsite shut down by a fraudulent cyber attack. The FinCen site wastaken down over the weekend because of a so-called spoofing attackwith which an outside source, according to Barry Thompson,president of Thompson Consulting Group. Thompson told attendees toCUNA’s annual Future Forum the emails mimicked the federalagency site and sent a message to all FinCen customers that read,“Remove Yours Monsters From Iraq.” Officials at FinCenwould not confirm the attack Monday but the agency’s site hadbeen taken down. The FinCen site was at least the second federalagency to be attacked by cyber criminals. Earlier this year, theFIDC was forced to shut down its site when cyber-criminals used itto launch ‘phishing’ attacks.