Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Rite Aid Says Ransomware Group Stole 2.2M Customers' Data

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 16, 2024

American pharmacy chain giant Rite Aid is warning 2.2 million customers that attackers obtained their personal information after impersonating one of its employees. The ransomware group RansomHub, which first surfaced in February, has claimed credit for the attack.

AT&T Allegedly Pays Ransom After Snowflake Account Breach

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 15, 2024

What will it take for victims of ransomware, extortion and other types of cybercrime to stop directly funding their attackers? The latest breached business to pay a ransom to its attackers appears to be AT&T, which reportedly paid Shiny Hunters over $350,000 for a promise to delete stolen data.

Zeus Banking Malware Player Gets 9-Year Prison Term

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 12, 2024

Ukrainian hacker Vyacheslav Penchukov, who helped lead two different cybercrime groups that relied on Zeus and IcedID malware to steal bank details, has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to helping steal millions of dollars from thousands of victims.

AT&T Details Massive Breach of Customers' Call and Text Logs

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 12, 2024

Attackers have stolen logs of call and text interactions pertaining to nearly every one of AT&T's millions of wireless customers, as well as customers of mobile virtual network operators who use its network, telecommunications giant warned.

Multifactor Authentication Shouldn't Be Optional

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 11, 2024

The theft of terabytes of Snowflake customers' data through credential stuffing hacks highlights how multifactor authentication shouldn't be optional for safeguarding accounts. Experts are calling on providers to build in more robust identity and authentication security features, at no extra cost.

After Customers Get Breached, Snowflake Refines Security

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 10, 2024

In the wake of multiple customers of Snowflake collectively losing terabytes of data to attackers, the cloud-based data warehousing platform has rolled out a swath of cybersecurity improvements, including allowing administrators to make multifactor authentication mandatory for all users.

Cryptocurrency Theft Haul Surges Alongside Crypto Value

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 9, 2024

Heists perpetrated by hackers netted twice as much in stolen proceeds in the first half of 2024 as they did in the first half of 2023, as the overall rise in crypto's value appears to be drawing increased focus from hackers, said blockchain intelligence platform TRM Labs.

What's the Best Strategy for Exploiting Flaws in Ransomware?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 8, 2024

What's the best strategy for exploiting a known vulnerability in ransomware to help victims decrypt their files for free? That question continues to recur as researchers discover such vulnerabilities and then must weigh whether or not to publicize the flaws, which tips off the ransomware operators.

Breaches Due to Credential Stuffing: Who's Accountable?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 28, 2024

Who's responsible for the data breaches experienced by customers of the data warehousing platform Snowflake due to credential stuffing attacks? While users have security responsibilities, multiple platforms - including Snowflake - have shortcomings they must urgently address.

Russian Indicted for Wiper Malware Campaign Against Ukraine

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 27, 2024

The U.S. government charged Russian civilian Amin Stigal with assisting Moscow's GRU military intelligence unit in its use of WhisperGate malware against Ukraine beginning in the weeks leading up to Moscow's all-out invasion, as well as probing America's critical infrastructure.

Bogus: LockBit's Claimed Federal Reserve Ransomware Hit

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 26, 2024

More reasons to beware breathless reporting about a ransomware group's latest supposed victim: LockBit's claim to have breached the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. Instead, the actual victim is Evolve Bancorp, which is currently dealing with an enforcement action by - wait for it - the Fed.

Luxury Retailer Neiman Marcus Suffers Snowflake Breach

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 25, 2024

Add luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus and the Los Angeles Unified School District to the list of known victims of a cybercrime that accessed accounts at cloud-based data warehousing platform Snowflake. Other victims include Santander Bank and Live Nation Entertainment's Ticketmaster.

As Britain's NHS Faces Data Leak, Never Normalize Ransomware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 21, 2024

Never let ransomware become normalized. Businesses today are more likely that not to be hit by ransomware, but this doesn't mean we should ever let ransomware seem like a new normal, akin to death or taxes. We need expert business resilience and failover capabilities.

CyberEdBoard Profiles in Leadership: Aman Sood

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 20, 2024

Aman Sood began his career in cybersecurity as a help desk analyst, handling tasks such as resetting user passwords and providing technical support. He shares his journey from analyst to cybersecurity vice president, discusses the challenges and offers advice to aspiring security professionals.

Microsoft 365's Security Gaps: Logging and Beyond

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 20, 2024

Brian Honan, CEO of BH Consulting, discusses the need for robust logging capabilities in Microsoft 365 to prevent security breaches. He called for security features to be standard, highlighting issues from a recent intrusion and the risks associated with technologies such as Microsoft's Copilot.