SWIFT banking system often target

london - The global banking system SWIFT, which is used to settle international payments, is often the target of hacking attacks than was previously known. SWIFT warned banks in early November for more attacks, according to a letter which Reuters has seen.

' The threat is very present, adapts and is highly refined- and continues to exist, '' wrote SWIFT, based in Belgium, in the letter. Via the SWIFT network would be carried ' a significant number of attacks. '' In taking money was stolen about a fifth of all cases.

SWIFT previously said there was carried out a successful hack only three times since February. However, the analysis looted money. A year earlier happened though, in an attack on an account of the Bangladesh Bank at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.