WASHINGTON The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Tuesday warned banks to step up computer security to guard against hackers and internal threats.
Michael J. Zamorski, the acting director of supervision, wrote to the chief executives of the 5,700 banks it supervises that many of them are not using Web sites that alert managers to technical weaknesses hackers can use to penetrate their networks. Banks should perform regular security reviews on network servers and other equipment to ensure they are up to date, he said.
Mr. Zamorski also said that because the majority of intrusions occur inside an institution, management should institute proper internal controls, including reviews of employee computer access authority to make sure it matches their responsibilities, and background checks on bank personnel and contractors.
For banks outsourcing their Internet sites or customer data, Mr. Zamorski said bank managers should independently evaluate any third-party service providers security programs to make sure proper controls are in place.
