Banking secrecy was introduced in Lebanon in order to attract capital from other countries in the region. The Bank Secrecy Law of September 3, 1956 allows banks to open secret bank accounts, protects against divulgion to third parties, including legal authorities, and prohibits seizure or attachment without the written consent of the account holder. The secrecy laws made banking Lebanon's major economic sector and the one that most successfully withstood the Civil War. Banking secrecy, within limits of public policy, is absolute. Violation of banking secrecy triggers criminal and civil liability.