Cyber Incident Victim: Banxico Org
Date:
May 2016
Location:
Mexico
Summary
The Central Bank of Mexico experienced a temporary disruption to its online services due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack orchestrated by the hacktivist collective Anonymous in collaboration with Ghost Squad. This incident was part of a broader campaign targeting multiple international financial institutions, aiming to protest perceived corruption and systemic issues within the global banking sector. The attack briefly rendered the bank's website inaccessible alongside several other central banks, though services were restored shortly afterward. Anonymous publicly claimed responsibility, framing the operation as a response to financial misconduct highlighted by events like the Panama Papers leaks.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On May 6, 2016, the Central Bank of Mexico became one of eight international banking institutions targeted by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks orchestrated by the hacktivist collective Anonymous in collaboration with Ghost Squad Hackers. The attacks formed part of Operation Icarus, a coordinated month-long campaign against the global banking sector announced through a video released by Anonymous on May 4. The Central Bank of Mexico's website was rendered inaccessible during the attack alongside the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Guernsey Financial Services Commission, Central Bank of Maldives, and Dutch Central Bank on the same day. The National Bank of Panama and Central Bank of Kenya experienced similar disruptions on May 7, while the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina also confirmed downtime. All affected banking websites, including Mexico's, resumed normal operations shortly after the incidents with no reports of data breaches or financial theft.
Anonymous publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks, framing them as retaliation against financial corruption highlighted by the Panama Papers leaks. The group specifically cited Panama's National Bank as a symbolic target due to its connection to offshore accounts exposed in the leaks, declaring intentions to pressure authorities into punishing implicated elites. The attackers published a list of 160 intended targets that included prominent institutions like the US Federal Reserve, IMF, World Bank, and Bank of England, though only 10 banks had been successfully disrupted by early May. This incident occurred amid heightened concerns over banking sector vulnerabilities following the February 2016 Bangladesh Bank cyber heist and the April 2016 Qatar National Bank data leak. No technical details regarding attack vectors, mitigation efforts by the Central Bank of Mexico, or operational impacts beyond website availability were disclosed in available reports.