Malware

Breaking News: Toronto Public Library Succumbs to Devastating Ransomware Attack, Exposing Shocking Data Breach

Stay informed with shocking news as Toronto Public Library falls victim to a crippling ransomware attack, leading to a devastating data breach. Read now!

Published

11 months ago

November 15, 2023

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A man and woman are looking at a laptop in a library.

The Toronto Public Library Confirms Data Breach in Ransomware Attack

IT Services confirmed that personal information belonging to employees, customers, volunteers, and donors was stolen during a ransomware attack in October. The attack targeted a file server, compromising data from the Toronto Public Library (TPL) and the Toronto Public Library Foundation (TPLF) dating back to 1998.

Included in the stolen information were names, social insurance numbers, dates of birth, and home addresses of the affected individuals. Additionally, copies of government-issued identification documents provided by TPL staff were likely taken as well, according to the library’s incident report update.

Although the cardholder and donor databases remain unaffected, some customer, volunteer, and donor data stored on the compromised file server may have been exposed.

The extent of the data breach, including the specific customer data stolen and the number of affected customers, has not been disclosed by the library.

The library has chosen not to pay a ransom and is collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident. It has also reported the breach to Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner and filed a report with the Toronto Police.

As Canada’s largest public library system, IT Services operates on a budget exceeding $200 million, serves a membership base of 1,200,000 registered individuals, and provides access to 12 million books across 100 branch libraries throughout the city.

Black Basta Ransomware Attack

While the library has not officially attributed the attack to a specific ransomware operation, it has been discovered that the Black Basta ransomware gang was behind the October 28 attack. This conclusion was drawn after a photo of a ransom note shown on a TPL workstation was examined by IT Services.

According to an employee of IT Services, the attack occurred overnight on October 27, resulting in the disruption of several services by Saturday morning.

Fortunately, the attack had minimal impact on TPL’s email services and did not affect the library’s phone system. Employees who were logged into their Office 365 accounts could still access their emails, while those who were logged out experienced difficulty accessing their email accounts.

Interestingly, the library’s primary servers housing sensitive data were not encrypted, suggesting that the Black Basta operators may not have had complete access to the library’s networks and data.

As a precautionary measure to prevent the malware from spreading, all other internal systems were shut down by IT Services following the detection of the attack.

TPL Black Basta ransom note — *Black Basta ransom note from TPL workstation (BleepingComputer)*

Black Basta emerged as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation in April 2022, specializing in double-extortion attacks against various corporate entities.

Following the discontinuation of the Conti ransomware gang in June 2022 after a series of embarrassing data breaches, the cybercrime syndicate fragmented into smaller factions. Black Basta is believed to be one of these factions.

In March, the Department of Health and Human Services security team stated that “the threat group’s rapid targeting of at least 20 victims during its initial two weeks of operation indicates their experience in ransomware and a reliable source of initial access.”

Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services security team suspects that Black Basta may be a rebrand of the Russian-speaking RaaS threat group Conti or have connections to other Russian-speaking cyber threat groups.

Additionally, Black Basta has been associated with the financially motivated cybercrime group FIN7.

Since its emergence, the Russian-speaking ransomware gang has successfully breached and extorted numerous high-profile victims, including the American Dental Association, Sobeys, Knauf, Yellow Pages Canada, UK outsourcing company Capita, the Rheinmetall German defense contractor, and most recently, U.S. government contractor ABB.

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Malware

USDoD Hacker Responsible for Massive National Public Data Breach Captured in Brazil

Brazilian authorities have arrested a hacker accused of stealing 223GB of sensitive data from the US Department of Defense (DoD). The hacker, known as “Zambrius,” sold the data on the dark web and was also involved in other cybercrimes.

Published

10 hours ago

October 21, 2024

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In a dimly lit room filled with computer screens displaying sensitive data, a person in a hoodie is captured by an armed officer. The individual is reportedly connected to the National Public Data Breach incident, raising suspicions of being a USDoD hacker.

Imagine waking up one day to find your personal information plastered all over the internet. Well, that nightmare became a reality for millions of Americans when notorious hacker USDoD, also known as EquationCorp, breached National Public Data and the FBI’s InfraGard, leaking sensitive information online. But this cybercriminal’s reign of terror has come to an end, as Brazil’s Polícia Federal recently arrested USDoD in “Operation Data Breach.”

USDoD’s Infamous Data Breaches

USDoD gained notoriety for his high-profile data breaches, often stealing data and leaking it on hacking forums while taunting his victims. His breaches include the FBI’s InfraGard, a threat information sharing portal, and National Public Data, where the personal data and social security numbers of hundreds of millions of US citizens were leaked online.

However, things took a turn for the worse for USDoD when he targeted cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and leaked the company’s internal threat actor list.

How USDoD Was Caught

After leaking CrowdStrike’s list, Brazilian publisher Techmundo received an anonymous report created by CrowdStrike that allegedly identified, or doxed, the threat actor, revealing he was a 33-year-old Brazilian named Luan BG. Strangely, USDoD confirmed that CrowdStrike’s information was accurate in an interview with HackRead and said he was currently living in Brazil.

With this information, Brazil’s Polícia Federal (PF) announced his arrest in Belo Horizonte/MG. “The Federal Police launched Operation Data Breach on Wednesday (16/10), with the aim of investigating invasions of the systems of the Federal Police and other international institutions,” reads the PF’s press release.

The Importance of Cybersecurity

This arrest serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity. As individuals and businesses, we must stay vigilant and proactive in protecting our sensitive data. But you don’t have to navigate the world of cybersecurity alone.

Our IT Services team is here to help you protect your data and ensure your digital safety. From implementing robust security measures to providing guidance on best practices, we’ll work with you to keep your information secure.

Stay Informed and Stay Safe

Knowledge is power, and staying informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices is the first step in keeping your data safe. We encourage you to reach out to our team and keep coming back to learn more about how to protect yourself and your business from cybercriminals.

Malware

Cisco Probes Intrusion as Stolen Data Emerges for Sale on Cybercriminal Platform

Cisco is investigating a potential breach after a hacker claimed to have stolen 200GB of sensitive data. The company is working to determine the authenticity of the claim and assess any potential impacts on its customers. Protect your network with Cisco’s integrated security solutions and stay informed with the latest cybersecurity updates.

Published

1 day ago

October 20, 2024

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Recently, we received information that Cisco, a leading IT company, is investigating a possible data breach after a threat actor claimed to have stolen sensitive data and put it up for sale on a hacking forum. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the latest updates on this situation.

What’s going on with Cisco?

Cisco confirmed that they are looking into these claims and have launched an investigation to assess the situation. A Cisco spokesperson stated, “We are aware of reports that an actor is alleging to have gained access to certain Cisco-related files.” The investigation is still ongoing.

This all started when a notorious threat actor going by the name “IntelBroker” claimed that they, along with two accomplices called “EnergyWeaponUser” and “zjj,” had breached Cisco on October 6, 2024, and made off with a significant amount of developer data from the company. The stolen data apparently includes GitHub projects, GitLab projects, SonarQube projects, source code, hardcoded credentials, customer documents, and much more.

What has been leaked?

IntelBroker shared samples of the alleged stolen data, which includes a database, customer information, various customer documentation, and screenshots of customer management portals. However, they did not provide any details about how they obtained the data.

It’s worth noting that back in June, IntelBroker was involved in selling or leaking data from several other companies, such as T-Mobile, AMD, and Apple. Those attacks were believed to have been carried out by targeting a third-party managed services provider for DevOps and software development. It’s not clear yet whether the Cisco breach is related to these previous incidents.

What’s the current status of the investigation?

As of now, Cisco is continuing to investigate the reports and has engaged law enforcement to assist in their efforts. So far, they have found no evidence of a breach in their systems. If any confidential customer information is confirmed to have been obtained by the threat actor, Cisco has stated that they will notify the affected customers.

In conclusion, it’s essential to stay vigilant and keep up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity news and threats. You can trust us to provide you with the most recent information and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity. Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how to protect your organization, and keep coming back for more updates on this and other cybersecurity topics.

Malware

Game Freak Confirms Massive Breach: Stolen Pokémon Data Exposed Online

Game Freak, the developer behind Pokémon, has confirmed a security breach after stolen data leaked online. The leaked data includes information on unreleased games, potentially impacting both the company and fans. Game Freak is working to address the situation and strengthen their security measures to prevent future incidents.

Published

2 days ago

October 19, 2024

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An animated character in an orange outfit and hat stands beside a fox-like creature with large ears in a sunlit forest, reminiscent of a Game Freak creation.

Imagine spending years of your life working on a top-secret project, only for it to be stolen and leaked online. That’s what happened to Game Freak, the Japanese video game developer behind the wildly popular Pokémon series, in August 2024. And now, we’re learning just how extensive the damage was.

A Digital Heist in the World of Pokémon

Game Freak has been at the forefront of the Pokémon gaming world since 1996, when they released Pokémon Red and Blue for the Nintendo Game Boy. Since then, they’ve produced countless titles for various Nintendo platforms, as well as for iOS and Android devices.

But in August, things took a turn for the worse. Screenshots of source code and development builds for upcoming Pokémon games started appearing on leak sites and channels like Discord, Reddit, and X. While Game Freak didn’t acknowledge the leak of the game data, they did confirm something even more concerning: the personal information of their workforce, contractors, and former employees was stolen in the cyberattack.

Damage Control and Apologies

In a machine-translated notice, Game Freak stated, “We deeply apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused to all concerned parties.” They went on to explain that the leaked information included full names and company email addresses. While this doesn’t put people at risk for identity theft, it does leave them vulnerable to phishing and targeted brute-forcing attacks.

Game Freak is working to contact those affected by the incident individually, but they published the notice on their site because not everyone can be reached. On a positive note, it seems that Pokémon player data hasn’t been impacted. Game Freak has completed a detailed investigation of the breached servers and implemented security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Not an Isolated Incident

Game Freak isn’t the only gaming company to fall victim to a cyberattack recently. Earlier this month, Canadian video game developer Red Barrels warned its community that an attack could cause delays on patches and additional content for existing Outlast games and upcoming titles. The Nitrogen ransomware group later claimed responsibility for the attack, boasting that they had stolen 1.8 TB of confidential data from Red Barrels.

As for the attack on Game Freak, no one has claimed responsibility yet. But the fact remains that this is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of even the most successful companies in the gaming industry.

What You Can Do to Help

As fans and consumers, it’s essential for us to stay informed and vigilant about cybersecurity. By keeping up-to-date with the latest news and best practices, we can help protect ourselves and the companies we love from these devastating cyberattacks.

But you don’t have to do it alone. Our IT Services team is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have. And remember to keep coming back for the latest information and advice on staying secure in the digital world.