By Devlin Barrett and Emily Glazer
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing a possible
computer hacking attack on J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, in what
people familiar with the probe described as a significant breach of
corporate computer security.
The extent of the hacking--when it began, what it affected, and
the potential costs for the company--weren't immediately clear. The
company and federal cyber investigators are in discussions as they
pursue the apparent attack on the bank's computers.
"Companies of our size unfortunately experience cyberattacks
nearly every day," said Trish Wexler, a J.P. Morgan spokeswoman, in
a statement. "We have multiple layers of defense to counteract any
threats and constantly monitor fraud levels."
J.P. Morgan isn't seeing significant fraud, a person familiar
with the matter said.
The attack appears to have been caused by malicious computer
code, known as malware, according to a person familiar with the
matter. Malware was used by the hackers who broke into Target
Corp.'s credit-card system last year and stole sensitive account
information from millions of the store's customers. Malware has
also been cited as a potential cause of a recent breach at
supermarket chain Supervalu Inc., according to people familiar with
that incident.
Write to Devlin Barrett at devlin.barrett@wsj.com and Emily
Glazer at emily.glazer@wsj.com
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