Last week, phishing attacks reel in a bountiful catch in the healthcare sector, how social distancing makes companies vulnerable to a data breach, and cybersecurity tips for working from home. 

United States – Tandem Diabetes Care

Exploit: Phishing scam
Tandem Diabetes Care: Medical device manufacturer

Risk to Small Business: 2.555= Severe

Five employees fell for a phishing scam that gave hackers access to email accounts containing customer data between January 17 and January 20, 2020. Although the company acted quickly to secure the compromised employee accounts, they were unable to recoup the stolen information. Given the sensitive nature of their industry, Tandem Diabetes Care will likely face increased regulatory scrutiny and hefty financial penalties.

Individual Risk: 2.428 = Severe

Although Tandem Diabetes Care has expressed in the integrity of their data storage, hackers likely had access to names, contact information, service-related details – even some patients’ Social Security numbers were exposed in the breach. Victims should consider enrolling in credit and identity monitoring services.   

Customers Impacted: 140,000

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: In response to this breach, Tandem Diabetes Care is updating its email security protocols to prevent a similar incident in the future. However, phishing scams account for a significant portion of all data breaches, and preparing for these attacks should be a built-in component of every organization’s defense strategy.

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United States – University of Utah Health 

Exploit: Phishing scam
University of Utah Health: Research and teaching hospitalr

Risk to Small Business: 1.889= Severe

A phishing scam provided hackers with access to the University of Utah Health’s network for more than a month, beginning on January 22, 2020. In addition, the healthcare provider discovered malware on its network that allowed hackers to access patient data. Although the University of Utah Health responded quickly, bad actors still had prolonged access to company and customer data, including HIPPA-protected healthcare records – creating financial, reputational, and regulatory consequences both now and in the future.

Individual Risk: 2.428= Severe

The compromised accounts included patients’  names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, and clinical data. This information can be used to craft authentic-looking spear phishing campaigns. Victims should carefully evaluate all digital communications, and consider enrolling in identity and credit monitoring services to ensure that this information isn’t being misused in other ways.  

Customers Impacted: Unknown.

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Like many companies responding to a data breach, the University of Utah Health is promising changes to its defensive posture to prevent a similar breach in the future. However, companies should assume that malware attacks and phishing scams are an “if” not a “when” proposition, and they should prepare their defensive posture accordingly.

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United States –  Tupperware  

Exploit: Malware attack
Tupperware: Home products line

Risk to Small Business: 2.334= Severe

Hackers infiltrated Tupperware’s online store, injecting payment skimming malware into the checkout process. The malicious script was active for at least five days, and it effectively mimicked Tupperware’s official payment form. After shoppers entered their data into the fake form, a “time out” error appeared, redirecting customers to the actual payment page and disguising the theft, which allowed it to go undetected.    

Individual Risk: 2.428= Severe

The payment skimming malware collected customer data entered including names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, expiration dates, and CVV codes. This data could allow hackers to commit financial theft or identity fraud. Those impacted by the breach should immediately notify their banks, as they will likely need to be issued new payment cards and carefully monitor their accounts for misuse.

Customers Impacted: Unknown

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the already-important online shopping experience for many businesses, and online shopping is a singular respite in an otherwise bleak outlook for retailers. Companies can’t afford to lose customers because of a cybersecurity vulnerability. Many customers indicate that they will not return to an online store after a data breach, which means that companies looking to capitalize on their online stores need to make sure this avenue is secure

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European Union – Norwegian Cruise Line 

Exploit: Phishing scam
Norwegian Cruise Line: Cruise tourism provider

Risk to Small Business: 2.334 = Severe

A Norwegian Cruise Line employee was reeled in by a phishing scam that compromised the personal details of thousands of independent travel agents. The information was then posted on Dark Web forums, making it widely accessible to bad actors. The company, already reeling from the COVID-19 crisis, has now damaged its relationship with partners that are critical to its recovery. 

Individual Risk: 2.714= Moderate

The data breach includes plain text passwords and email addresses for thousands of travel agents. While many are associated with TUI and Virgin Holidays, it also covers independent agents and those working with other organizations. Those impacted by the breach should immediately reset their login credentials while also monitoring their accounts for unusual or suspicious activity. 

Customers Impacted: 27,000

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: This incident underscores the heightened risk and outsized consequences of falling for scams during the COVID-19 crisis. With more employees working remotely and a general, pervasive sense of uncertainty overshadowing many companies, there is a higher risk of damage from cyberattacks including phishing and ransomware encountered (and interacted with) by anxious employees.

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Risk Levels:

1 – 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 – 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 – 3 = Moderate Risk
*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.

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In Other News:

Expert Cybersecurity Tips for Working From Home During a Time of Social Distancing

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an unprecedented work-from-home experiment as social distancing measures require millions of employees around the world to work from home. As we’ve already seen, this presents unique cybersecurity challenges for both companies and their employees. To help you secure data while working remotely, here are four simple steps that every company and employee can take

1. Use a trusted VPN. These services can provide a layer of protection by encrypting network traffic and making it more difficult for bad actors to spy on your activity. Choose a reputable VPN provider, as a number of VPN scams have tricked employees into downloading malicious software that steals their login credentials

2. Enable two-factor authentication. Account security is critical, especially when entire companies are working remotely. Enabling two-factor authentication is an affordable and effective way to keep company accounts secure at all times.  

3. Refrain from using personal devices. Many employees may be tempted to use personal devices for work-related tasks, especially when working from home. It’s always possible that these devices contain malware or other exploits that could compromise company data.  

4. Look out for Phishing Scams. Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to capitalize on our vulnerabilities. At this moment, COVID-19-related phishing scams abound, targeting employees’ sense of isolation and vulnerability to capture critical information.