The IMF has become the latest major organisation to be targeted by a sophisticated cyber-attack.  The attack which started earlier this year was designed to install software creating a, ‘digital insider presence’. An internal IMF email revealed that, ‘suspicious file transfers had been detected’. According to the New York Times emails and other sensitive documents were hacked into.

The attack is believed to have taken place over several months. The IMF was reluctant to give details about the attack but they did confirm an incident was being investigated. They also said the fund remained fully active. However, according to the Metro, one unnamed IT official at the organisation described the attack as a ‘very major breach’. Cyber security experts have speculated that a foreign government is behind the attack.

The attack follows similar incidents at Sony, Google and Citigroup during the last few months. The FBI has said it is planning a major step up in efforts to combat cyber-attacks. CIA director Leon Panetta told the US congress earlier this week that he fears a major cyber-attack which cuts off power, security and government systems.