The virus attack at Banco de Chile in May resulted in the theft of some $10 million, CEO Eduardo Ebensperger said, according to several media reports.
The attack was launched by an international group of hackers, most likely from Eastern Europe or Asia, who shifted most of the money to Hong Kong, Ebensperger reportedly said.
The hackers used the international bank remittance system SWIFT to trigger a series of fraudulent transactions and were able to transfer millions to accounts abroad before the bank detected and contained the activity.
Banco de Chile said hackers mainly targeted the bank and not customers, with the attack used only as a distraction; accessing the SWIFT system was the actual goal. A criminal complaint has already been filed in Hong Kong, according to the reports.
Due to the cyberattack, Chile's President Sebastián Piñera has called for legal changes that will increase security standards in both the private and public sectors, Diario Financiero reported, citing Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick.
The interior minister said that the protection of state institutions' network should be permanently reinforced and be in line with the private sector.
As of market close June 11, shares of Banco de Chile were down nearly 1% on the day.
