Tag: hack

The Rockstar Games data leak and how reputation loss can be one of the costliest aspects of being hacked
Video game news might fall outside our normal wheelhouse but reporting on cybersecurity events is right up our alley, and this the most recent hack on major game developer Rockstar Games made major news over the weekend so we wanted to chime in with our thoughts.

The hacker going under the moniker “Tea Pot” released video clips of Rockstar Games unreleased (and previously unannounced) new game, Grand Theft Auto 6. The clips revealed spoilers on the games content and also showcased rougher assets as the game is still in early development, something game publishers don’t ordinarily highlight.

In a message acknowledging the breach the Rockstar Games Team had this to say:

The hacker returned after releasing the data and sent a message on the GTAForums claiming they wanted to “negotiate a deal” with Rockstar Games, hinting that they had more data to release. Speculation proliferated across the internet that the hacker had somehow obtained some of the games source code.

With the source code portions of the game could be re-engineered (outside Rockstar Games) and that could even possibly be used to provide at least a semi-playable version. The fallout from that would be devastating as it would steal the developer’s agency in releasing their own content and also reveal trade secrets that could be used to help create knockoff or pirated versions.

Rockstars parent company, Take-Two, has issued take down notices to social media accounts and Youtube channels broadcasting the stolen footage as work to perform damage control. There will probably be a costly investigation into the origination of the hack and there may even be financial complications beyond that, as investors may question what effect this leak will have on the eventual release of the game.

This hack is a perfect example of the reputation cost associated with being hacked. Recovering data you need to do your day to day job is one aspect, but you also need to think about data you wouldn’t want released to the public.

Projects that haven’t been announced yet or information that’s not easily changed (tax information, personal identifying information) are just two factors, but there’s also the release of your customers private data. Many aren’t aware a breach involving client information can even lead to legal ramifications depending on regulatory factors in your sector.

There’s also your private emails or messages, which could have future business plans, personal information, or other things that could be used by the hackers in a ransomware attempt (or even ongoing blackmail).

Cybersecurity prevention’s are important but one element that has surged to the forefront of our minds is a recovery tool that’s becoming more difficult to obtain – cybersecurity insurance.

You can review our comprehensive guide on the topic but here’s a brief chart on what cybersecurity insurance typically covers:

Click to view the full size version.

Obtaining coverage can be challenging, the requirements have grown much steeper as cybersecurity attacks become more common place, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. At Valley Techlogic we have experience in helping clients obtain coverage so if the unthinkable does occur, their business will survive the hit.

Whether you’re are in the early stages of researching cybersecurity coverage or if you have an application form in front of you, we can be your guide through the process. Schedule a consultation today to learn more.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.
This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
September 22, 2022
Yesterday, Facebook experienced their worst outage since 2008
Yesterday if you were trying to login to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or even Oculus VR you wouldn’t have had much luck. Facebook experienced their worst outage since 2008 (when a bug caused the site to be down for an entire day). They were down for just over 6 hours as a world that suddenly found themselves with more time on their hands speculated why.

For a brief period, the domain Facebook.com was even for sale if you performed a search for the domain on a domain name search website.

While many thought it could be an attack on their networks, such as what’s been happening in the VoIP sector lately, others speculated the outage was related to the fire Facebook has been under lately for their business practices.

On Sunday, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen – a former Facebook project manager – went public on how Facebooks policies prioritize profits over their user’s wellbeing. She was the person responsible for the massive data dump that showed Facebook’s algorithms even optimize for hate speech. She noted these problems also exist at Google and Pinterest, other companies she’s performed similar duties for, but that the problem is much worst at Facebook.

There have been no shortage of memes taking shots at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg following the outage.

Hearings begin this week analyzing the whistleblower findings, particularly as they relate to children on these sites. Amid the controversy Facebook has shelved plans for an Instagram Kids app, though Facebook claims the delay is so they can better analyze the needs of children and parents before moving forward with the app.

The main crux of the case has to do with both the deluge of data and how major players such as Facebook (and likely beyond) serve that data to their users. It’s a tricky situation because you don’t want to stifle free speech but promoting hate speech and negative imagery, especially to vulnerable audiences such as children, is also wrong.

There is so much more to the case then we can get to here but suffice to say hearings such as these play an important role in how we as a society consume and regulate data.

Back to the topic at hand though, after being down for 6 hours Facebook finally emerged although they did so with little in the way of answers as to why their domains were down to the first place. They’ve issued an apology for the outage but beyond that silence.

Experts who have weighed in speculate the issue had to do with Facebooks DNS (Domain Name System), and anonymous comments that have surfaced from employees said they don’t think the downtime was caused by an attack.

Some reports have even said during the outage functions inside Facebook offices ground to a halt, with some employees being unable to even use their keycards which could have also contributed to the lengthy delay in fixing the problem.

Outages such as these should cause even smaller businesses to take a hard look at their technology practices. If Facebook, with the resources they have available, can be brought to a standstill for hours over potentially a small issue such as DNS how would your business fare when faced with a similar issue?

Downtime adds up, but it doesn’t have to. Having a partner in technology like Valley Techlogic is the number one way your business can avoid the hassle, expense, and embarrassment of lengthy downtime. Find out more today.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.
This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, adns, n IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
October 5, 2021
The Extreme Side of RAAS (Ransomware As A Service)
When many people think ransomware they usually think on the small scale, someone’s email or computer being held hostage until a small sum is paid or an IT professional can assist with the problem (for the lucky ones).

Or perhaps you think of the major breaches where millions of accounts are leaked to the public, usually containing emails, phone numbers and other identifying information. As a whole the public has become desensitized to these sort of breaches (even though they’re still a serious problem).

What we probably do not immediately jump to is a full-scale terrorist level attack that can cripple large swaths of the country – such is the case with the Colonial Pipeline Hack.

While it’s still an ongoing situation, here are the details in summary.

Systems were shut down Friday at the Colonial Pipeline, a pipeline which supplies 45% of the fuel used on the East Coast. FBI has confirmed the pipeline was shutdown voluntarily to prevent future damage and to assess the situation, however this has left much of the country in limbo as gas prices climb and many states have declared a state of emergency.

It’s being urged that residents in those states do not stock pile gas as that will only prolong the problem of shortages once operations resume. As of Wednesday, operations are still down but they say they hope to resume operations by the end of the week.

It’s also been confirmed by the FBI that the RAAS (Ransomware As A Service) group DarkSide is responsible for the attack. They create hacking tools that are then used in attacks on businesses, the group itself usually targets for profit businesses in English speaking countries.

As a relatively new hacking group, they have since August 2020 conducted attacks on various businesses trying to extort money from them by threatening to release the data they obtain in their hacking efforts. They claim to donate all or part of their ill-gotten gains to charity organizations. Their ransomware demands range from $200,000 to $2 million.

They claim to operate with a code of ethics and will not attack hospitals, schools etc. However, this pipeline attack will have a trickle-down effect to those services and the public at large.

Ransomware in any form is disruptive and violating and it’s clear more needs to be done to stamp out these attacks.

Raising public awareness about cyber security and the efforts required to be safe online will help. In addition to that, requiring businesses to have protective measures in place will cut off these groups before they’re able to acquire the funding they need to become large hacking organizations.

We need to work together to making hacking less lucrative, because as it’s been shown our way of life and public safety may be at stake.

If you run a business and need help with your cyber security services, we’re here for you. We have tailored cyber security plans for businesses of all sizes, and we would be happy to guide you through the process of protecting your business. Schedule a free consultation here today.

Update: As of Thursday, the Colonial Pipeline has resumed operations. It’s unknown how long the gas shortages caused by the outage will last.

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This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
May 13, 2021