Newsletter
Hackers have gained access to sensitive information of Sony employees in a recent data breach. Confirmation of this was given by Sony in a move to alert affected workers of this turn of events. The hackers responsible for this action were able to get access to Sony’s workers’ data through a MOVEit high-severity flaw.
MOVEit is a secure file transfer server that companies like Sony employ to handle sensitive information. These can include medical, legal, financial, and personal files that concern the company and its workers. Progress Software is the name of the company that owns and operates MOVEit hence making its services available to businesses around the world.
Back in May, hackers were able to break the security of Progress Software, hence gaining access to the MOVEit software. The company proceeded to inform its clients and businesses that use its software of this attack, but it was already too late. By this time, the hackers had already made away with tons of personal data of Sony workers.
Sony made some moves to secure its business after the data breach and contain its spread
While this data breach took place in May, it was not until June that Sony found out about it. Well, both actions (the attack by the hackers and Sony finding out about it) happened in two different months but just a few days apart. According to available reports, the attack hit Progress Software on May 28 while Sony found out about it on June 2.
Sony was able to discover the effects of this attack from certain unauthorized downloads on the MOVIEit platform. Once this data breach was discovered, Sony was able to take the MOVEit platform offline and fix the vulnerability. The next step from the company was to launch investigations into the data breach with the help of law enforcement and cybersecurity experts.
Sony also confirms that this data breach didn’t spread into other parts of its business. It initially hit the personal data of Sony’s workers as well as their family members, and the company has been able to prevent it from spreading. However, the bad actor behind this attack is now selling the stolen data to buyers on the dark web.
Reports point out the hacker to be the Russian ransomware actor CI0p. This individual is already selling the personal data of Sony workers on its data leak website. From this action, it is clear that Sony didn’t bulge to the bad actor’s demand for a ransom price for the stolen data.
The bad actor is claiming that its attack hit all of Sony’s systems and is advertising the stolen data for sale. While this attack is one of a kind, it’s not the only attack affecting a major tech firm in recent times. It highlights the need for tighter security measures from companies like Progress Software that handle sensitive data from various sources.