Teen Hacker Arrested: What Recent Casino and Company Breaches Mean for Your Accounts
A member of a hacking group that targeted major companies has been arrested. If you use online accounts with any large companies, here is what you need to know.
Source
The Hacker News
Original headline: 19-Year-Old Scattered Spider Suspect Extradited to Face U.S. Hacking Charges
Plain-English summary by GetCyberRight. Read the full report at the source above.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on July 1 that a 19-year-old suspected member of a hacking group called Scattered Spider has been extradited from Finland to face charges. Peter Stokes appeared in a Chicago federal court on June 30 and is being held in custody. He faces charges of conspiracy, computer intrusion, and fraud. Scattered Spider is known for targeting large companies and organizations. This group has been linked to breaches at casinos, technology companies, and other major businesses.
If you have accounts with large retailers, entertainment companies, or online services, your information may have been at risk during their previous attacks. The group typically steals login credentials and personal information. You should take these steps right now to protect yourself:
- Check your email for any notifications from companies about data breaches in the past year.
- Change passwords on any accounts with major retailers, casinos, or entertainment services you use.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for all important accounts, especially email, banking, and shopping sites.
- Review your bank and credit card statements for any charges you do not recognize. To stay protected going forward, use unique passwords for each website or service. Consider using a password manager to keep track of different passwords. Be suspicious of any unexpected texts or calls asking you to verify your identity or reset passwords. Real companies will not ask for your password through email or text messages. Enable login alerts on your accounts so you get notified when someone tries to access them from a new device.
Curated from trusted cybersecurity sources by GetCyberRight
Source: The Hacker NewsStay ahead of cyber threats
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