Malware
23andMe to Shell Out $30 Million in Astonishing Genetics Data Breach Settlement
23andMe has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2020 data breach that exposed customers’ genetic information. Learn more about the settlement and how it will impact the biotechnology company’s future data security measures.
Imagine receiving a package in the mail containing a small tube that holds the key to uncovering your ancestry, traits, and health predispositions. You trust the company to keep your most sensitive information, your DNA, safe and secure. But what happens when that trust is broken? In 2023, 23andMe, a leading DNA testing company, faced this very issue when a massive data breach exposed the personal information of 6.4 million customers.
Fast forward to today, and 23andMe has agreed to pay a whopping $30 million to settle a lawsuit resulting from the breach. The proposed class action settlement is currently awaiting judicial approval and includes cash payments for affected customers. While the company believes the settlement is fair, they also deny any wrongdoing and maintain that they properly protected their customers’ personal information.
Addressing Security Weaknesses
In addition to the financial settlement, 23andMe has agreed to strengthen its security protocols, such as adding protections against credential-stuffing attacks and requiring mandatory two-factor authentication for all users. The company also plans to conduct annual cybersecurity audits and create a comprehensive data breach incident response plan.
Furthermore, 23andMe will no longer retain personal data for inactive or deactivated accounts and will provide an updated Information Security Program to employees during annual training sessions. While these actions may help rebuild trust, it’s important for us to recognize that data breaches can happen to anyone – even trusted companies like 23andMe.
Understanding the Data Breach
So, how did the breach occur? In October 2023, 23andMe discovered unauthorized access to customer profiles resulting from compromised accounts. Hackers exploited credentials stolen from other breaches to access 23andMe accounts. In response, the company implemented measures to block similar incidents, such as requiring customers to reset passwords and enabling two-factor authentication by default.
However, the damage was already done. Starting in October, threat actors leaked data profiles belonging to 4.1 million individuals in the United Kingdom and 1 million Ashkenazi Jews on the unofficial 23andMe subreddit and hacking forums. In total, data for 6.9 million customers, including information on 6.4 million U.S. residents, was downloaded in the breach.
Moreover, the company confirmed that attackers stole health reports and raw genotype data during a five-month credential-stuffing attack that took place from April to September. As a result, multiple class-action lawsuits were filed against 23andMe, leading to the recent settlement.
A Call to Action for Cybersecurity Awareness
As we reflect on the 23andMe data breach, it’s crucial to recognize that we all play a role in safeguarding our personal information. By staying informed about cybersecurity best practices and understanding the risks involved in sharing sensitive data, we can better protect ourselves from potential threats.
At IT Services, we’re committed to helping you stay informed and secure. Keep coming back to learn more about cybersecurity, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. Together, we can build a safer digital world for all.
Malware
Schneider Electric Confirms Dev Platform Breach: Hacker Seizes Sensitive Data in Bold Cyberattack
Schneider Electric has confirmed that its developer platform suffered a data breach, resulting in unauthorized access to product security vulnerability details. The breach was discovered on 10 August, after a hacker claimed to have stolen the data. Schneider Electric is working with security researchers to identify the individual responsible and the extent of the breach.
Imagine waking up one morning to find out that your entire database has been hacked, and critical information is now held hostage by a group of cybercriminals. That’s precisely what happened to Schneider Electric, a French multinational corporation known for its energy and automation products.
Unauthorized access to Schneider Electric’s data
A threat actor, who goes by the name “Grep,” recently taunted Schneider Electric on X, indicating they had breached the company’s systems. They claimed to have accessed Schneider Electric’s JIRA server using exposed credentials and scraped 400k rows of user data, including 75,000 unique email addresses and full names of the company’s employees and customers.
Schneider Electric confirmed the breach, stating that they were investigating a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to one of their internal project execution tracking platforms. The company assured that its products and services remain unaffected by the breach.
A new hacking group emerges
Grep revealed to us that they had recently formed a new hacking group called the International Contract Agency (ICA), named after the game Hitman: Codename 47. Initially, the group didn’t extort companies they breached. However, upon discovering that the “ICA” name was associated with a group of Islamic terrorists, the threat actors rebranded themselves as the Hellcat ransomware gang and began developing an encryptor for future extortion attacks.
Extortion demands and a history of breaches
Grep is now extorting Schneider Electric, demanding $125,000 not to leak the stolen data and half of that amount if the company releases an official statement. This isn’t the first time Schneider Electric has faced a cybersecurity breach. Earlier this year, its “Sustainability Business” division fell victim to a Cactus ransomware attack, where the threat actors claimed to have stolen terabytes of data.
Don’t let this happen to you
As technology advances, so do the methods and tactics employed by cybercriminals. It’s essential to take cybersecurity seriously and invest in the right tools and strategies to protect your valuable data. Don’t wait until you become the next Schneider Electric. Instead, take action now to secure your digital assets and prevent a potential breach.
Keep coming back to learn more about the latest cybersecurity trends, tips, and best practices. We’re here to help you stay informed and protect your business from the ever-evolving world of cyber threats.
Malware
Cisco Ensures DevHub Site Leak Won’t Empower Future Breaches
Cisco has assured customers that a recent data leak from its DevHub site will not enable future cyber breaches. The leak exposed sensitive information, including users’ API keys, but Cisco has taken the necessary steps to mitigate the potential risks and protect its users’ security.
Recently, a threat actor managed to download non-public files from a misconfigured public-facing DevHub portal. Although this sounds alarming, we want to reassure you that the exposed documents do not contain information that could be exploited in future breaches of our systems.
What exactly was exposed?
Upon analyzing the exposed documents, we found that their contents include data that we publish for customers and other DevHub users. However, files that shouldn’t have been made public were also available, some belonging to CX Professional Services customers.
“So far, in our research, we’ve determined that a limited set of CX Professional Services customers had files included and we notified them directly,” we said.
Our teams have worked diligently to assess the content of those files. We want to emphasize that we have not identified any information in the content that an actor could have used to access any of our production or enterprise environments.
What actions have we taken?
We have since corrected the configuration and restored public access to the DevHub site. Additionally, we’ve confirmed that web search engines did not index the exposed documents.
This update comes after we confirmed last month that we took our public DevHub site offline (a resource center for customers where we publish software code, templates, and scripts) after a threat actor leaked what we described at the time as “non-public” data.
It’s important to note that we found no evidence that any financial data or personal information had been exposed or stolen from the public DevHub portal before it was taken offline.
What about the alleged access to a developer environment?
The threat actor behind the leak, IntelBroker, claimed that they also gained access to a Cisco JFrog developer environment through an exposed API token. While we maintain that our systems haven’t been breached, information shared by the threat actor indicates that they also breached a third-party development environment, allowing them to steal data.
We’ve been contacted with further questions about IntelBroker’s claims, but we have not replied as of yet.
What’s the takeaway from all of this?
While the exposure of non-public files is a concern, we want to reiterate that the information contained within those files does not put our systems at risk for future breaches. We have taken the necessary steps to correct the configuration issues and restore access to our DevHub site, ensuring that such an incident doesn’t occur again.
As always, your security is our top priority. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns, and keep coming back to learn more about how we’re working to protect your data and keep you safe.
Malware
Interbank Admits to Data Breach After Unsuccessful Extortion Attempt and Massive Information Leak
Peruvian Interbank confirms a data breach after refusing to pay extortion demands. The hackers leaked customer information, but the bank assures no financial data was compromised. Interbank warns clients of potential phishing attacks and urges them to be cautious when providing personal information.
Imagine waking up one day to find your personal and financial information plastered all over the internet. It’s a nightmare scenario, isn’t it? Well, that’s precisely what happened to a group of customers at Interbank, one of Peru’s leading financial institutions, which serves over 2 million people.
Interbank confirms data breach
Interbank recently confirmed that a data breach occurred, with a hacker gaining unauthorized access to its systems and leaking stolen data online. The bank immediately deployed additional security measures to protect its clients’ operations and information. While their online platforms and mobile app experienced temporary outages, Interbank has assured customers that their deposits are safe and that most of their operations are back online.
Stolen data for sale on hacking forums
As if the breach wasn’t bad enough, a threat actor with the handle “kzoldyck” has been spotted by Dark Web Informer selling the stolen data on several hacking forums. The data in question includes customers’ full names, account IDs, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, and sensitive financial information like credit card numbers, CVV codes, and even plaintext credentials.
The hacker claims to have information on more than 3 million customers, with a total data cache of over 3.7 terabytes. They also mention possessing internal API credentials, LDAP, and Azure credentials. It’s worth noting that the hacker reportedly attempted to extort Interbank’s management two weeks prior, but the bank refused to pay.
So, what can you learn from this?
As a U.S. reader, you might be thinking, “That’s terrible, but it’s in Peru, so it doesn’t affect me.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Cybersecurity threats know no borders, and hackers are constantly seeking out new targets. In fact, data breaches have become increasingly common in recent years, with a 2021 report from the Identity Theft Resource Center showing a 17% increase in publicly reported data breaches in the U.S. compared to 2020.
This case serves as a stark reminder that no one is immune to the dangers of cyber threats. It’s essential to stay vigilant and educate yourself on how to protect your personal and financial information. Consider working with IT Services who can provide you with guidance and resources to stay one step ahead of the hackers.
Don’t let this happen to you
Be proactive in safeguarding your data and take the necessary steps now to protect your information. Reach out to us at IT Services to learn more about how we can help you and your business stay safe in this digital age. Remember, the best defense is a good offense, so don’t wait for a data breach to happen before taking action.
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