A top bank official has denied reports that an Israeli hacker has hacked into Saudi bank systems and accounts. Talat Hafiz, Secretary General of Media and Awareness Committee of Saudi banks, said Saudi customers have nothing to fear as their bank cards are protected by one of the best protection systems in the world. He insisted that debit and credit cards are secure and protected. “Banks use the best international standards of protection and invest huge money in keeping up with international information systems and protection programs,” he said. The news will come as relief to worried citizens, as nearly 13 million Saudis own debit cards and about 2.5 million have credit cards. However, customers are being urged not to divulge their bank account information to anyone. Hafiz also indicated that clients who have had their accounts hacked into will be entitled to compensation. But he also added a condition. “Before the bank compensates the client, it will investigate into how the account was hacked. Was it due to the client's negligence and his fault in keeping the information secret? It's difficult to give judgment. So it may depend on each incident.” A number of Saudi banks have registered hacking attempts in the past but only a few of these attempts were successful, thanks to the strong security and protection systems used by banks. __
