A criminal investigation is under way after an island-based bank and trust company were targeted in a hacking attack.

The hackers targeted Cayman National Bank (Isle of Man) Ltd and its sister company Cayman National Trust Company (Isle of Man) Ltd.

A criminal hacking group has claimed responsibility for the data theft. It claims to have published 2TB of confidential data.

The hacker, using the pseudonym Phineas Phisher, claimed they had hacked the Cayman bank and trust company in the Isle of Man almost four years ago and was now publishing a guide about how they did it.

Insisting they were working for ’social change’, they wrote: ’I robbed a bank. Computer hacking is a powerful tool to combat economic inequality.’ Cayman National Bank (Isle of Man) Ltd is a subsidiary of Cayman National Corporation Ltd which is based in and operates from the Cayman Islands alongside its main banking subsidiary, Cayman National Bank Ltd.

The bank said it is confident that the theft is contained within its Isle of Man entities - and it has found no evidence of financial losses to customers or Cayman National.

All of Cayman National’s operations within the Cayman Islands are separate and distinct operations from the bank in Isle of Man and the two banks do not share common systems, databases, client information, or email platforms.

The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and Information Commissioner’s Office, along with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, have been informed and are working with Cayman National in the Isle of Man.

Investigation

Cayman National Bank (Isle of Man) Limited was among a number of banks targeted and subject to the same hacking activity.

A criminal investigation is ongoing and Cayman National is co-operating with the relevant law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators of the data theft.

Cayman National said it takes any breach of data security very seriously and a specialist IT forensic investigation is underway, with ’appropriate actions being taken to ensure that the clients of its bank and trust companies in the Isle of Man are protected’.

Cayman National Bank (Isle of Man) Limited’s managing director, Nigel Gautrey, said: ’Cayman National, along with virtually every other international banking group, is not immune from the constant attempts by hackers to gain access to confidential data.

’In this instance, and despite the best efforts of leading data security consultants, this criminal hacking group has breached our system - although to date we have detected no evidence of financial loss to either our customers or Cayman National.’

The bank and trust company, based at Cayman National House on Hope Street in Douglas, are is in the process of notifying their customers of the data breach.

Any customers with questions should email [email protected].

Updates will also be given at www.caymannational.im