This post was originally published here by Will Houcheime.
Here are the top cybersecurity stories of recent weeks:
- 80 Million Personal Records Exposed
- $40 million Worth of Bitcoin Stolen from Binance Exchange
- Major Canadian Telecom Provider, Freedom Mobile, Experiences Security Breach
- U.S Antivirus Companies Breached by Russian Hackers
- ELECTRICFISH Malware used by North Korean Hackers to Breach Information
80 Million Personal Records Exposed
Bob Diachenko, a cyber threat intelligence researcher, discovered an open MongoDB server containing a large amount of personal data amounting up to 80 million records. The data was used for SMS bombing, a form of marketing that sends advertisements directly to cell phone users via text. The exposed information included full names, addresses, phone numbers, and carrier networks. The database was used for baiting millions of people to click on the links that were, at times, disguised as referrals from friends and family members. There isn’t a time established as to how long the database was exposed for and if there was anyone who had access to it, but it is clear that the database had been used illicitly.
$40 million Worth of Bitcoin Stolen from Binance Exchange
Binance, a large cryptocurrency exchange, reported a security breach last week that resulted in $40 million worth of Bitcoin being stolen. Hackers were able to successfully plunder over 7,000 Bitcoin, as well as user information such as two-factor authentication codes. Binance remarks that the responsible party executed the breach in the most opportune time by surpassing security checks that regulate all transactions. It was stated that all of the stolen coins were taken from the “hot wallet,” which is a digital means of storing cryptocurrency connected to the internet.
Major Canadian Telecom Provider, Freedom Mobile, Experiences Security Breach
Freedom Mobile, Canada’s fourth-largest telecommunications provider, experienced a security breach which exposed the sensitive information of thousands of users. Cybersecurity researchers from vpnMentor accessed a database belonging to the telco which was left unencrypted. Payment card industry (PCI) data such as credit card numbers, security codes, and even some credit score responses were left accessible to the public. After a thorough investigation, researchers discovered that 15,000 users were breached.
U.S Antivirus Companies Breached by Russian Hackers
A hacking collective operating under the name of Fxmsp recently breached three U.S. antivirus companies. Advanced Intelligence (AdvIntel), a cybersecurity company, stated that the hacking collective placed sensitive information online for sale, which included development documentation, artificial intelligence models, web security software, and antivirus software base codes. The collective has tallied close to $1 million in profits from selling compromised data. AdvIntel is confident that the hackers’ claims are credible, as the collective has successfully breached high-profile entities in the past.
ELECTRICFISH Malware Used by North Korean Hackers to Breach Information
A North Korean malware named ELECTRICFISH has caught the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Homeland Security. Since then, they have filed an analysis report to investigate the actions of the malware. They concluded that the malware implements a custom protocol to funnel traffic between a source and a destination. Following the detection of the malware used by the hacking group Lazarus, the report has been issued “to enable network defense and reduce exposure to North Korean malicious cyber activity.”
Photo:Digg
