Hackers attempted a series of sophisticated cyberattacks against several major Wall Street financial firms and money managers in recent days, targeting their information systems, Reuters reports.

Some of the world’s largest hedge funds were among those targeted. The hackers placed phone calls while impersonating information technology employees and attempted to trick workers into granting access to company systems or turning over sensitive information.

Point72 Asset Management informed investors that it had faced an attack by hackers. The firm said its investigation found that no customer information was stolen during the incident.

The hackers also attempted to breach information systems at other hedge funds, including Two Sigma Investments and Citadel. Citadel and Point72 declined to comment to Reuters, while Two Sigma did not respond to a request for comment.

Cybersecurity experts said attempts to infiltrate major financial institutions are routine. The phone-call tactic remains widely used because of its effectiveness and has been employed by cybercriminal groups including “Scattered Spider,” a loosely connected group of young hackers blamed for several major corporate attacks over the past several years.

The attempted breaches come as companies face an increase in artificial intelligence-powered cyberattacks and ransomware. The White House announced a working group earlier this year bringing together artificial intelligence developers and critical-infrastructure operators to share intelligence and coordinate cyber defenses.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)