GETTY Anonymous claim to have taken down nine national banks during a worldwide cyber attack

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The activist hacking group, who have joined forces with fellow hackers Ghost Squad Attackers, are targeting bank websites across the world. In a co-ordinated strike called Operation Icarus the hackers took the Bank of Greece offline for a few minutes. A Bank of Greece official said: "The attack lasted for a few minutes and was successfully tackled by the bank's security systems. The only thing that was affected by the denial-of-service attack was our website."

This is just the beginning Anonymous

Anonymous originated in 2003, adopting the Guy Fawkes mask as their symbol for online hacking. The cyber attackers said in a statement to AnonHQ.com: “This is just the beginning. We won’t stop until all focus is back on the banks where it belongs and all 'to big to jail' institutions are held accountable for their crimes. "Now that we are uniting our groups, it will only be a matter of time before the whole international banking cartel who are responsible for worldwide economic terrorism, can expect to expect us.”

Days later the website of the Central Bank of Cyprus also briefly came under cyber attack. The central bank's website came under "some form of a denial-of-service" attack, a spokeswoman said on Friday, via email. She added the attack "resulted in some delays in user connections, but generally the website could handle the anticipated number of users for the day." The group also claim they have taken down the central banks of New Zealand, Montenegro and France in recent days as well as the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

BLOOMBERG A Bank of Greece official confirmed the cyber attack

Operation Icarus comes as research reveals two thirds of large British businesses have experienced a cyber attack or breach in the last 12 months. Findings from the Cyber Security Breaches Survey, undertaken by Ipsos Mori for the Government, show a quarter of large firms experiencing a cyber breach did so at least once a month. In light of the findings, businesses are now being urged to better protect themselves. Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: "The UK is a world-leading digital economy and this Government has made cyber security a top priority.

ANONYMOUS The hacking group released a video launching Operation Icarus

GETTY Operation Icarus has targeted banks across the world

"Too many firms are losing money, data and consumer confidence with the vast number of cyber attacks. It's absolutely crucial businesses are secure and can protect data." It was also revealed that seven out of 10 attacks on all firms involved viruses, spyware or malware, could have been prevented, and how only a fifth of businesses have a clear view of the dangers of sharing information with third parties. Over the next five years the Government has pledged to invest £1.9billion to tackle and prevent the crime, as well as a new National Cyber Security Centre which will offer security support. Cyber security expert Steve Jewell, technical director at S-IA, a company that provides software used by Government departments including the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence against cyber-attacks said the threat from cyber attackers continues to evolve.

Anonymous trolls ISIS on Twitter Thu, June 9, 2016 Activist hacking group Anonymous and their followers have found a new way to attack terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) by launching a cyber-campaign against the militant Islamist group. Play slideshow Twitter 1 of 13 Anonymous trolls ISIS on Twitter