Pierluigi Paganini
December 28, 2023
On Christmas Eve, Resecurity protecting Fortune 100 and government agencies globally, observed multiple actors on the Dark Web releasing substantial data leaks. Over 50 million records containing PII of consumers from around the world have been leaked. The actual damage resulting from this activity could potentially amount to millions of dollars. Mitigating this damage is particularly challenging due to the intricate interconnection between personal data and digital identity. For the average consumer, changing this information in practice is a complex and often difficult process. Even as the New Year approached and the world celebrated the festive Christmas season, the cybercriminal community did not pause their activities. Instead, they marked the holiday season in their unique way.
Numerous leaks disseminated in the underground cyber world were tagged with ‘Free Leaksmas,’ indicating that these significant leaks were shared freely among various cybercriminals as a form of mutual gratitude. Ironically, this display of generosity among cybercriminals is far from a cause for celebration for victims globally. It will inevitably result in them facing a host of adverse effects, such as account takeovers (ATO), business email compromises (BEC), identity theft, and financial fraud. Significantly, the data breaches weren’t confined to the United States; they extended globally, impacting individuals in a wide range of countries including France, Peru, Vietnam, Italy, Russia, Mexico, the Philippines, Switzerland, Australia, India, South Africa, and even mixed international sources. This widespread geographical distribution of “Free Leaksmas” event highlights the extensive global reach and severe impact of these cybercriminal activities.
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