Maze Ransomware Group Ends Operations

Earlier this week, a press release was issued that announced the end to the Maze ransomware group’s data theft operations. In the release, the Maze authors revealed their motives behind one of the most successful ransomware campaigns to date, and why they chose to finally shut down their massive project. It also came to light that the team behind Maze was working to expose the major security holes that many industries allow to persist in our ever-evolving technological world, though their methods left many victims in their wake.

Cannabis Site Leaves Database Exposed

An unsecured database belonging to cannabis website, GrowDiaries, was found last month with over 3.4 million user records. Amongst the data were 1.4 million user passwords that were encrypted using MD5 hashing, which is known to be easily defeated by cyber-criminals. Nearly a week after being informed of the database, GrowDiaries properly secured it from public access, though it is still unclear how long it was accessible or who accessed it during that time.

Pakistani Airlines Network Access for Sale

Earlier this week, researchers found a listing for full admin access to the Pakistan International Airlines’ network, on multiple dark web forums. The current asking price is $4,000, which is incredibly low, considering the amount of information that could be used for a variety of other malicious activities. The hackers claim to have 15 databases, each with many thousands of records, including passport data and other highly sensitive personal information on passengers and employees alike. It is believed that this same group has been responsible for at least 38 other sales of network access over the last 5 months.

Healthcare Remains Easiest Target for Cyberattacks

In a recent survey of healthcare organizations, it was found that 73% had computer systems that were totally unprepared to fend off any type of cyberattack. It is alarming how quickly these attackers are improving their operations in comparison to security being implemented by these organizations, even with the ever-increasing spending on cybersecurity, year over year. To make matters worse, the hinderance brought upon the healthcare industry overall with COVID-19 has forced many facilities to put security improvements on hold, as they deal with increased patient numbers.

Severity of Capcom Breach Continues to Rise

In the weeks following the ransomware attack on Capcom, that was initially suspected to not affect customer data, the actual severity has come to light. Upwards of 135,000 customers, employees, and other individuals with direct ties to the company may have had their sensitive personal information compromised. And while Capcom has confirmed that all payment data is processed through a third-party and isn’t stored on their systems, a reasonable quantity of internal documents and statements seem to have fallen victim to the attack.