Weekly Cybersecurity Recap March 24

Cyber-attacks are a major problem that exposes millions of people to fraud on an annual basis. This week there were attacks on some truly massive organizations like the NBA and PayPal, as well as a cyber security company and a few medical companies. The attacks put millions of people at risk, and they could lead to huge financial losses. Find out all the details about these attacks below and learn if you were put at risk by any of them. 

NBA

Most people are familiar with the NBA, the largest basketball organization in the United States. This massive organization was hit by an attack recently that exposed some of its fans to potential problems from phishing attacks. The NBA wasn't attacked directly, but it provides information to marketing companies, including a newsletter company, and that newsletter business was exposed in a cyber-attack. The attack released some fan data, and the NBA warns fans to watch for phishing attacks. No financial or protected personal data was released in the attack. If you receive strange emails from people you don't trust or know, do not open the links or you may suffer from a data breach of your own.

PayPal

PayPal is a massive payment transfer solution in the United States and other countries around the world. The company processes payments, lends money, and does much more in the financial space. It works with millions of customers annually. This major financial company suffered a data breach, exposing the financial and protected information of many of its customers. The attackers found a vulnerability in PayPal's systems and were able to infiltrate their systems in an unknown way. When inside the systems, the attackers were able to gather lots of secure information. The attack began on December 6th, 2022, and persisted until December 8th, 2022, when it was blocked fully. This week, victims came together and filed a class action lawsuit that cites negligence on PayPal’s part.

NorthStar Medical Patients

NorthStar Medical offers emergency medical services and equipment to emergency responders around the country. The company is an essential tool for ensuring that patients get the help they need rapidly and effectively. The company was attacked on September 16, 2022, and in that attack, it lost protected health and financial information for as many as 82,450 patients. The attack is a serious issue that puts patients at risk. If your information was involved, you should receive a notice from the company. Take immediate steps to protect yourself and monitor your credit to avoid future problems. 

Rubrik

Rubrik, a cyber security company that specializes in cloud data storage, is the latest company hit by the security vulnerability affecting GoAnywhere, the secure data transfer service. This recent attack only exposed data from the Rubrik testing server and only gave the Clop gang access to basic company information and nothing personal or financial. Even though the information stolen wasn't harmful, it's still upsetting to see a company that specializes in cyber security being hit by an attack that's effective at taking any information from them. If you have information stored with Rubrik, the company wants you to know that you're fully protected and have nothing to worry about, but you should keep an eye out for any updates from the company. 

Independent Health Systems

Independent Health Systems is a short-term health care services agency that provides short-term care for elderly and handicapped individuals. The company recently suffered a serious cyber-attack that exposed medical information and Social Security numbers for as many as 4 million individuals. This attack is a serious problem that leaves all these patients exposed and with serious issues to resolve. This is another example of how even healthcare facilities aren't safe from cyber-attacks.