800K Users Compromised: The Alarming 2023 MOVEit Cyberattack Unleashed

Imagine waking up one day to find out your personal information, including your Social Security number and bank account details, has been stolen by cybercriminals. This is what happened to 800,000 individuals when the University System of Georgia (USG) fell victim to the notorious Clop ransomware gang in 2023.

USG, a state government agency responsible for operating 26 public colleges and universities in Georgia, was among the first to be compromised in a massive worldwide data theft campaign conducted by the Clop gang. They exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the Progress Software MOVEit Secure File Transfer solution, impacting thousands of organizations around the globe.

How the breach unfolded

With the help of the FBI and CISA, USG eventually determined that sensitive files had been stolen from its systems. Almost a year later, they began notifying the impacted individuals, revealing that the cybercriminals accessed the following information:

• Full or partial (last four digits) of Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• Bank account number(s)
• Federal income tax documents with Tax ID number

Considering the type of information exposed and the fact that the number of impacted individuals is larger than the number of students under USG, it’s likely that prior students, academic staff, contractors, and other personnel were also affected.

USG submitted a sample of the data breach notice to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, stating that the data breach impacts 800,000 people. Interestingly, the entry on Maine’s portal also lists driver’s license numbers or identification card numbers as exposed data types, although these are not mentioned in the notice.

What’s being done to help the victims?

To help those affected, USG is now offering 12 months of identity protection and fraud detection services through Experian. Impacted individuals have until July 31, 2024, to enroll in these services.

Unfortunately, the MOVEit attacks by Clop were one of the most successful and prolific extortion operations in recent history. Over a year after the attacks took place, organizations are still discovering, confirming, and disclosing breaches, extending the aftermath of the cyber-attacks.

Emsisoft’s dedicated counter of MOVEit victims lists 2,771 impacted organizations and nearly 95 million individuals whose personal data now resides in Clop’s servers. Some of that data was published on Clop’s extortion portal on the dark web, some were sold to other cybercrime groups, and some remain to be monetized in the future.

What can you do to protect yourself?

This data breach serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and vigilance in our increasingly digital world. Organizations and individuals must prioritize cybersecurity measures, such as using strong, unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and regularly updating software and systems.

For more information on how to protect yourself and your organization from cyber threats, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team at IT Services is dedicated to helping you stay safe in this ever-evolving digital landscape. Keep checking back for more insights and advice on cybersecurity!