Okta Admits Hackers Accessed Data on All Customers During Recent Breach by Carly Page
November 29, 2023
Introduction:
(TechCrunch) U.S. access and identity management giant Okta says hackers stole data about all of its customers during a recent breach of its support systems, despite previously stating that only a fraction of customers were affected.
Okta confirmed in October that a hacker used a stolen credential to access its support case management system and steal customer-uploaded session tokens that could be used to break into the networks of Okta customers. Okta told TechCrunch at the time that around 1% of customers, or 134 organizations, were affected by the breach.
In a blog post published on Wednesday, Okta chief security officer David Bradbury said the company has since determined that all of its customers are affected by the breach. Okta spokesperson Cat Schermann would not provide an exact figure when asked by TechCrunch, but Okta has around 18,000 customers, according to the company’s website, including 1Password, Cloudflare, OpenAI, and T-Mobile.
Bradbury said on September 28, a hacker ran and downloaded a report that contained data belonging to “all Okta customer support system users.” For 99.6% of customers, hackers accessed only full names and email addresses, according to Okta, though in some cases they may also have accessed phone numbers, usernames and details of some employee roles.
“While we do not have direct knowledge or evidence that this information is being actively exploited, there is a possibility that the threat actor may use this information to target Okta customers via phishing or social engineering attacks,” Bradbury said. The notorious Scattered Spider hacking group, also known as Oktapus, has previously leveraged various social engineering tactics to target the accounts of Okta customers, including Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts.
Hackers have been able to gain access to personal information from about 6.9 million users of genetic testing company 23andMe, using customers' old passwords.
In some cases this included family trees, birth years and geographic locations, the company said.
After weeks of speculation the firm has put a number on the breach, with more than half of its customers affected.
The stolen data does not include DNA records.
23andMe is a giant of the growing ancestor-tracing industry. It offers genetic testing from DNA, with ancestry breakdown and personalised health insights.
Ukraine’s Mobile Operator Kyivstar Facing ‘Powerful’ Cyberattack by Kateryna Chursina and Cagan Koc
December 12, 2023
Introduction:
(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine’s largest mobile phone operator said Russia was most likely behind a “powerful” cyberattack that disrupted phone and internet services Tuesday for about 24 million people in the country.
The cyberattack, the largest to strike Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began nearly two years ago, took down ATMs and digital banking services, disabled some air raid sirens, and hampered broader cellular service across Ukraine.
“This is definitely a cyberattack and the probability that Russian entities are behind it is very close to 100%,” Oleksandr Komarov, chief executive officer of Kyivstar GSM JSC, told Bloomberg by phone.
Ukraine’s government said in October that such attacks by Russia were becoming more sophisticated as they aimed to disrupt vital infrastructure during wartime. The State Cyber Protection Center previously attributed the majority of such incidents of interference, which commonly tried to steal information and to disrupt or destroy systems, to hacker groups funded by the Russian government.
Beyond Borders: The Urgent Case for Global Cooperation in Cyber Defence January 6, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurasia Review) Over the past year, the cyber conflict between Ukraine and Russia has captured much attention. Yet, a similarly critical situation has unfolded in the China–Taiwan theatre, where cyberattacks have significantly escalated. Reports from Google’s threat analysis division and Microsoft security have confirmed this uptick, pinpointing that these incidents predominantly target critical sectors like energy systems, electrical grids, and communication networks. The semiconductor industry has not been spared either.
A report by the cybersecurity company Fortinet reveals a staggering figure of 412 billion attack events detected in Asia-Pacific in the first half of 2023, with Taiwan bearing the brunt at 22.48 billion, marking an 80 per cent increase from the year prior. Alongside espionage efforts, Taiwan has faced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and ransomware attacks. Further intensifying the situation are the misinformation campaigns aimed at undermining public trust in Taiwan’s government and stoking societal confusion.
India has also been at the receiving end of misinformation aimed at Taiwan. A recent rumour claiming that the Taiwanese government was bringing in as many as 100,000 migrant workers from India went viral on social media in Taiwan. Though refuted by the Taiwan government, various social media pages operated by the Taiwan government were spammed with bot messages designed “to create social panic and spark tension between Taiwan and India”.1
In defence, Taiwan has fortified its cyber capabilities by establishing its Information Communication Electronic Force Command in 2017, consolidating various military units into one formidable force of over 6,000 personnel. The latest National Cybersecurity program, the sixth of its kind since 2001 and running until 2024, reflects Taiwan’s commitment to strengthening its cyber defences—protecting crucial infrastructure, enhancing cyber skills, increasing information security, and supporting the private sector in safeguarding its operations. A key goal is to position Taiwan as a hub for cyber research and development.2
Taiwan’s role in global cyber stability is underscored by its critical position in the electronics supply chain. Taiwan is the sixth-largest electronics exporter globally, with electronics exports valued at US$ 94.8 billion in 2021, representing a 3.9 per cent share of the global electronics market.
1.“Rumor on Mass Indian Worker Influx China’s ‘Cognitive Warfare’: Source”, Focus Taiwan, 26 November 2023.
2.Kaushal Kishore Chandel, “China as a Factor in Taiwan’s National Cyber Security Strategy”, Occasional Paper No. 94, August 2022, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.
(See linked article for hyperlinks to footnoted sources)
