Thieves breach Sarkozy's bank account

Just how insecure is online banking? In what looks like an attack aimed more at publicity then francs, thieves have broken into French President Nicholas Sarkozy's bank account and withdrawn several small amounts, the Guardian reports.

"The swindlers will be punished," Luc Chatel, secretary of state for consumer affairs, told French radio. He said more work needed to be done to tighten internet banking security in France, which, according to the national crime agency, has seen a 9% rise in offences this year.

"[This] proves the system of internet checking [of bank accounts] is not infallible," Chatel said. "These cases are sufficiently rare that we haven't had to really organise ourselves, but [they are] sufficiently serious for us to reflect on how to improve the system."