BlackCat Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility for Seiko Data Breach Incident
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
BlackCat Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility for Seiko Data Breach Incident
The notorious ransomware group, BlackCat/ALPHV claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Japanese watchmaker Seiko. The July 28, data breach incident was disclosed by the company in a statement, published earlier this month.
Japan-headquartered Seiko Group Corp., manufacturer of clocks, watches, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical elements, employs around 12,000 employees and has annual revenue of more than $1.6 billion.
The incident was first reported by the company on its website on August 10; however, it gained attention only after BlackCat added the company to its list of victims. The group also published samples of stolen data on its dark web site as proof. The shared data included scan copies of employee passports, sales reports, new watch designs, alleged production plans, and lab test results.
Seiko in its notification stated that unauthorized third-party or parties gained access to one of its servers and extracted information. The details of the compromised data were not disclosed in the statement; however, the company did reveal the launch of an internal investigation.
‘’Subsequently, on August 2nd, we commissioned a team of external cybersecurity experts to investigate and assess the situation,’’’ the statement read. ‘’As a result, we are now reasonably certain that there was a breach and that some information stored by our Company and/or our Group companies may have been compromised,’’ revealed Seiko.
The company stated that it would be continuing with the investigation to understand what type of information was accessed and extracted by the hackers. In addition to apologizing to its customers and business partners, Seiko also asked the latter to remain vigilant to avoid potential phishing attacks.
‘’[..] ask our customers and business partners to contact us immediately if you receive any suspicious or unusual emails or notifications from us. [..] Please take extreme precautions to prevent your own systems from harm. Tell your staff to refrain from opening such mails if possible or, if they were opened by mistake, to avoid accessing any included links, read Seiko’s statement.
In recent months, the infamous ransomware gang has become well known for attacking enterprises like Estée Lauder , NCR Corp., Casepoint Inc., Reddit, among others.
New Google Chrome Feature to Warn Users About Potential Malicious Extensions
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
In its latest announcement Google revealed that Chrome users will now be notified about extensions that have either been removed, marked as malware, or are unpublished by the developer.
These forms of extensions are created by developers with dubious intent and are used for nefarious purposes like collecting browser data, launching adware, or redirecting users to phishing pages.
Keeping in mind its commitment towards protecting users as well as boosting the security associated with its web browser ecosystem, the company is said to feature this new update as part of Chrome 117.
The feature ‘’Safety Check’’ once enabled will be a part of ‘’Privacy and Security’’ settings section and will prompt users to review extensions that have been removed from the Google Web Store.
According to the announcement, the notification will automatically clear once the issue is resolved. This system will not only reassure but also give both the users and developers time to review and address the problem. By doing this, the tech company hopes to reduce any adverse impact on genuine extension.
‘’The notification will not be displayed for an extension when the developer has been notified of a possible violation and has been given time to address the issue or appeal, the statement read. [..] ‘’When a user clicks “Review,” they will be taken to their extensions and given the choice to either remove the extension or hide the warning if they wish to keep the extension installed,’’ it further stated.
The previous versions of Chrome are known to automatically disable extensions marked as malwares.
Moreover, the company in the coming months is also planning to roll out additional safety warning features in Chrome. Users when downloading high-risk files will now be warned, especially when they are connected to insecure connections.
