Before massive Bangladesh heist, New York Fed feared such cyberattacks

Commuters pass by the front of the Bangladesh central bank building in Dhaka March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ashikur Rahman/File Photo

In the years before hackers stole US$81mil (RM324.04mil) from a Bangladesh central bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, senior Fed security officials examined the risk of such an attack – but judged the prospect unlikely, bank sources told Reuters. 

The Fed managers worried that lax security procedures and outdated technology at some foreign central banks could allow cyber-criminals to commandeer local computers and breach foreign accounts at the US central bank, according to interviews with seven current and former New York Fed officials and a former US government official familiar with the discussions.