Advanced hackers have targeted U.S. and European energy companies, in a cyber-espionage campaign that has in some cases successfully broken into the core-systems that control the companies’ operations, according to researchers at the security firm Symantec

As the world combated another wave of cyber attacks which disrupted businesses on a massive scale recently, information technology experts have called on banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to adopt radical measures to protect the financial system, including encouraging capacity building in hacking and other forms of cyber security competences.

Nigerian hackers and cyber criminals are being accused of masterminding a grand theft of information and money running into billions of dollars, worldwide.

Hackers using malware “stolen from the NSA” crippled 45 National Health Service, NHS, trusts in Britain and caused disruption across at least 45,000 computer networks in 99 countries in an unprecedented global attack at the weekend.