Today’s winner of “Who Is The Victim Of A Data Breach” is the University Of Rochester who posted this to their website:
The University of Rochester is investigating a cybersecurity attack. This data breach, which resulted from a software vulnerability in a product provided by a third-party file transfer company, has affected the University and approximately 2,500 organizations worldwide.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that this “third-party file transfer company” is likely the Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability which has lead to the pwnage of companies and organizations left and right. I have questions about that if my theory is accurate. But first I will let Ani Chaudhuri, CEO, Dasera comment on this:
The recent data breach at the University of Rochester underscores the complexity and challenge of cybersecurity in today’s digital age. Our reliance on third-party software providers means we are only as strong as our weakest link, with the entire community affected when even one vulnerability is exploited.
This incident offers a stark reminder that data security is an ongoing commitment and a continuous journey. It’s not a checklist task to be completed and then left unattended. The software vulnerability that led to this breach was likely unknown at the time of its introduction but has had a profound impact nonetheless.
We need to empathize with the University of Rochester, the staff, and students affected by this breach. The cyber landscape is incredibly complex, and as we digitize more aspects of our lives, the risks increase. We should be reassured by the university’s swift actions, urging users to add extra layers of protection and working closely with the FBI and an external data forensics firm to investigate the breach.
However, it’s important to recognize that the sophistication of today’s cyber threats calls for more than just strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. We need to adopt a proactive and continuous approach to data security, embedding it into our operational DNA. This includes conducting regular audits, risk assessments, and implementing robust cybersecurity measures that can adapt to the ever-evolving threat landscape.
We should remember that while the internet has brought immense benefits, it has also made us vulnerable to an array of threats. Our collective security is a shared responsibility, requiring the participation of every stakeholder in the cyber ecosystem.
Lastly, this breach should prompt us to pause and re-evaluate our security measures and protocols, not as a reaction to an unfortunate incident, but as a conscious, forward-thinking strategy to protect the data that is becoming increasingly integral to our lives. This is not a trivial task but it’s a challenge we must embrace head-on in our interconnected world.
Back to my theory about the Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability being the source of this breach. Assuming my theory is correct, this vulnerability is not new. So did the threat actors get in and set up shop before the University patched this? Or did the University not patch this and got burned because of that. I’d love to know the answers to that and I am hoping that the University puts out a full report that details what happened, and what they are going to do to make sure it never happens again.
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This entry was posted on June 5, 2023 at 11:53 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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University Of Rochester Suffers A Data Breach
Today’s winner of “Who Is The Victim Of A Data Breach” is the University Of Rochester who posted this to their website:
The University of Rochester is investigating a cybersecurity attack. This data breach, which resulted from a software vulnerability in a product provided by a third-party file transfer company, has affected the University and approximately 2,500 organizations worldwide.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that this “third-party file transfer company” is likely the Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability which has lead to the pwnage of companies and organizations left and right. I have questions about that if my theory is accurate. But first I will let Ani Chaudhuri, CEO, Dasera comment on this:
The recent data breach at the University of Rochester underscores the complexity and challenge of cybersecurity in today’s digital age. Our reliance on third-party software providers means we are only as strong as our weakest link, with the entire community affected when even one vulnerability is exploited.
This incident offers a stark reminder that data security is an ongoing commitment and a continuous journey. It’s not a checklist task to be completed and then left unattended. The software vulnerability that led to this breach was likely unknown at the time of its introduction but has had a profound impact nonetheless.
We need to empathize with the University of Rochester, the staff, and students affected by this breach. The cyber landscape is incredibly complex, and as we digitize more aspects of our lives, the risks increase. We should be reassured by the university’s swift actions, urging users to add extra layers of protection and working closely with the FBI and an external data forensics firm to investigate the breach.
However, it’s important to recognize that the sophistication of today’s cyber threats calls for more than just strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. We need to adopt a proactive and continuous approach to data security, embedding it into our operational DNA. This includes conducting regular audits, risk assessments, and implementing robust cybersecurity measures that can adapt to the ever-evolving threat landscape.
We should remember that while the internet has brought immense benefits, it has also made us vulnerable to an array of threats. Our collective security is a shared responsibility, requiring the participation of every stakeholder in the cyber ecosystem.
Lastly, this breach should prompt us to pause and re-evaluate our security measures and protocols, not as a reaction to an unfortunate incident, but as a conscious, forward-thinking strategy to protect the data that is becoming increasingly integral to our lives. This is not a trivial task but it’s a challenge we must embrace head-on in our interconnected world.
Back to my theory about the Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability being the source of this breach. Assuming my theory is correct, this vulnerability is not new. So did the threat actors get in and set up shop before the University patched this? Or did the University not patch this and got burned because of that. I’d love to know the answers to that and I am hoping that the University puts out a full report that details what happened, and what they are going to do to make sure it never happens again.
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This entry was posted on June 5, 2023 at 11:53 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.