It is the beginning of a whole new cyber attacks. At least, that’s how experts rate a common hacker attack. One group introduced a computer virus into the system of a power plant and could have destroyed it: If the virus had not been found and stopped in time, it would have caused explosions. In the worst case, this could have triggered an environmental disaster with potentially fatal consequences for people. Means: Unlike other attacks, hackers deliberately put human lives at risk.
Facebook Vulnerability
At the end of September, it was announced that the world’s largest social network Facebook was once again struggling with a security vulnerability. Millions of users were affected: the accounts of almost 50 million Facebook users have been hacked. Users worldwide were affected. Facebook said: “We immediately took measures to protect the affected accounts and to inform the users about the events.” Users should be informed via their news feed that profile information may have been tapped. At the time, Facebook emphasized that there was no need to change the current password.
Data Theft In The Fitness App
At the end of March another larger case became known: hackers captured data from 150 million accounts of the weight loss app MyFitnessPal. The sporting goods manufacturers are responsible for the app. The company suspected that the hackers stole passwords in addition to usernames and email addresses. More sensitive information such as payment data was probably not included. The case was worked up together with data security companies and supervisory authorities. The app is designed to help you achieve diet and exercise goals. Users were prompted to change their password immediately. The attack took place in February, but the incident was not noticed until late March.
A hacker attack not only does a lot of damage, but it is often difficult or even impossible to hold those responsible to account. However, there are also positive examples in which it has been possible to put the hacker out of business.
