At a glance.
- As if the writers’ strike weren’t enough.
- M&T Bank reports MOVEit-linked data breach.
As if the writers’ strike weren’t enough…
Paramount Global – the multinational mass media giant behind household names like Paramount Pictures studios, Nickelodeon, and CBS Entertainment Group – has suffered a data breach exposing personal data. A Paramount spokesperson told Bleeping Computer that the incident impacted fewer than one hundred people, but it’s unclear whether the individuals are employees or customers. The hackers had access to the entertainment conglomerate’s systems between May and June, and the compromised data include names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, ID numbers, and relationship with the company. The spokesperson confirmed, "We did investigate an incident where we learned that an unauthorized party accessed certain files from our systems. Upon discovery of the unauthorized activity, we took swift action to identify and address the incident.”
Notification letters signed by Nickelodeon Animation Studio EVP Brian Keane have been sent to impacted individuals explaining that an investigation has been conducted and that the company is updating its security measures to prevent future attacks. Paramount says the investigation revealed the breach was not the result of a ransomware attack, nor is it tied to the mass-hack of the MOVEit file transfer app that has been plaguing companies around the world.
M&T Bank reports MOVEit-linked data breach.
Speaking of MOVEit, American financial institution M&T Bank has disclosed that a recent data breach was the result of the mass-hack of the popular file transfer service. A bank spokesperson stated, “M&T was informed about a recent global cybersecurity incident involving MOVEit, a file transfer software owned by Progress Software and used by government agencies, major financial firms, and thousands of other organizations, which resulted in the potential exposure of customer information for any organizations using the software.” Names, addresses, and M&T account numbers were among the compromised data, but fortunately no pins, passwords, or payment card numbers were exposed. M&T installed the recommended security patches as soon as it learned of the breach, and the spokesperson says there’s no need for victims to panic, but they should also be vigilant in checking their accounts for any suspicious activity.
As NBC Connecticut notes, other victims of the MOVEit attacks include the BBC, Shell, Johns Hopkins Health Systems, British Airways, and the State of Illinois. Retired US Federal Bureau of Investigation Supervisory Agent and Cybersecurity Expert Holly Hubert told WGRZ, "My understanding is it affected tens of millions of individuals."