1 MILLION accounts leaked in megahack on banks, websites

A cache of over one MILLION user account records was leaked by hacker collective Team GhostShell in a huge data dump over the weekend.

Image source: Imperva

Targeting banks, consulting firms, government agencies, and manufacturing firms, the team extracted usernames, passwords, credit histories, and other files and documents from 100 different websites. Much of the data was pulled from the targets' databases and content management systems, some of which contained more than 30,000 records each.

Imperva analysis indicates that the breaches were executed mostly using the SQLmap tool, a common SQL injection method used by hackers.

The importance of staying on top of your CU's security system and closing up vulnerabilities can't be stressed enough. Get more info about the megahack here.

Black Hat is Over, But SQL Injection Attacks Persist

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse reported that 312 million data records have been lost since 2005 and 83% of hacking-related data breaches were executed via SQL injection attacks.

Image source: imsmartin

In a period of six months, UK-based secure cloud hosting company FireHost reported a huge 69% jump in SQL injection attacks. It tracks these numbers based on the hundreds of thousands of total attacks it blocks on behalf of its cloud hosting clients.

Consider the stance from cloud hosting providers. If they can detect and block an attack against one website residing on their network, then they can collect this information over time, building knowledge that can be used to protect the entire hosted community.

For the most part, SQL injection attacks are automated and website owners may be blissfully unaware that their data could actively be at risk. Sites continue to lose customer data to digital thieves. Is your CU one of them? Read the article to learn more.