It has been reported that a ransomware attack launched against gaming company Capcom last November keeps getting worse. As per company announcement, personal data of up to 400,000 of its customers was compromised in the cyber attack. The breach was first detected on Nov, 2 and uptill now company has issued three update. Capcom is a Japan-based publisher of blockbuster games like Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Dark Stalkers.
<p>Cybercrime is a business so all should think of it in this way. Out of all the various types of cybercrime activities ransomware is the one activity that has a high direct return of investment associated with it, by holding the victim\’s ransom for financial payment. Taking the global economic environment and current market conditions into consideration cybercriminals will, of course, continue to focus on their efforts to this revenue generating stream. Remember that your employees are your most valuable assets both from a security threat awareness perspective but to provide valuable insights into the pulse and culture of the organization so it\’s important to keep a close eye on the ground. The key message here is no one, industry or company, is exempt from the ransomware threat and it requires constant focus, assessment and review to ensure you and your critical information assets remain safeguarded and protected against it.</p>
<p>Lockdowns and less population mobility inevitably lead to higher uptake in online gaming, and in-game purchases may increase the “value” of some user accounts for attackers.</p> <p> </p> <p>The stolen data belonging to 400,000 users could be used for further attacks such phishing/social engineering/ID impersonation, therefore users are encouraged to change their account credentials and to be extremely cautious when opening on unsolicited emails. Even messages coming from Capcom themselves might be malicious, as attackers sometimes attempt to trick affected users into clicking on a malicious link by pretending to be the vendor informing them of the security breach.</p> <p> </p> <p>It’s interesting how these attacks often “get worse” over time – the severity of such attacks are not always entirely understood at the beginning</p>