The world of cybersecurity is a very dynamic environment. Security checks, updates, and cyberattacks take place every day. It is important to stay on top of the latest cybersecurity events in order to understand different security threats and risks. Once you become aware of the potential security threats lurking online, it will be much easier to protect your data and devices. With that said, these are the three latest cybersecurity events you should know about!
#1 The Recent DDoS Attack on Telegram
The messaging platform Telegram recently suffered a Distributed Denial of Service Attack that caused major service outages. Users were primarily affected in South and North America, however, even those in China and Europe experienced issues with connection and running the app. Hackers used large botnets, that is, groups of connected computers to send enormous traffic to Telegram’s servers. This caused the servers to crash, which left millions of people’s data compromised. Even though hackers managed to compromise the entire network, Telegram’s cybersecurity team was quick to respond. They urgently notified all users to reassure them that they’re working hard on keeping their data secured. The incident is now completely under control.
#2 20 Million Patients’ Files Compromised Due to an AMCA Data Breach
Millions of patients and dozens of companies related to the AMCA or the American Medical Collection Agency had their data exposed to cybercriminals. Even though the AMCA payment system was breached in 2018, it was recently announced that people’s data remained vulnerable until March 30th, 2019. AMCA notified every patient whose credit card number, social security number, or medical records were compromised. Even though they were working on preventing the incident from spreading, the AMCA still urged all their patients to review their financial and medical accounts in case there are any specific activities.
#3 A Vulnerability in Evernote’s Web Clipper Left Users’ Data Exposed
Evernote’s Web Clipper was recently breached. This incident allowed hackers to gain access to confidential data of over 4.6 million people. Data was exposed because of a flaw in Evernote’s Chrome extension called the Web Clipper. Experts have confirmed that the flaw was a result of a coding error. It allowed hackers to access people’s information through a third-party website. Besides personal information such as names and addresses, hackers were able to access people’s financial transaction history. However, Evernote worked quickly to remove the flaw and secure users’ data again. We’re hoping that incidents like this one won’t happen again!
Conclusion
We hope that the recent cybersecurity incidents will shed a light on the threats that users are being exposed to on a daily basis. Even though there’s not much you can do when a large network such as AMCA is compromised, there are many safety measures you can implement to add an extra layer of security to your data and devices. For starters, invest in a reliable virtual private network service to encrypt all data going to and from the device.
A VPN will keep your online traffic hidden from hackers and third parties, thus reducing the risk of a cybersecurity attack. We recommend using the NIST cybersecurity framework as a guideline to extra online security. The framework is essentially a collection of the best security measures designed to protect your data and devices. On top of that, you should always look out for suspicious activity in your accounts, both personal and financial ones. In case of any suspicious activity, make sure to change your passwords or contact the support team of the service to make sure your data is secure.
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