This week in cybersecurity, major incidents include Volkswagen’s breach of 800,000 vehicle data, Japan Airlines’ DDoS disruptions, and Rhode Island’s RIBridges data leak affecting 650,000 individuals. Additionally, pro-Russian hackers targeted Italy, Harley-Davidson faced a customer data breach, and the U.S. is revamping healthcare cybersecurity regulations.
Volkswagen Data Breach Exposes Location Data of 800,000 Electric Vehicles
A data breach at Volkswagen exposed location data of approximately 800,000 electric vehicles, including those from VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda. The Chaos Computer Club reported this vulnerability, which could link data to driver identities. Volkswagen claims no misuse has been detected, emphasizing that sensitive information, like passwords, was not compromised. Read more
Japan Airlines Cyberattack Causes Flight Delays
Japan Airlines experienced significant disruptions due to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on December 26, 2024. The attack targeted JAL’s internal and external systems, causing delays for numerous domestic and international flights. Services were restored swiftly, and reports suggest the incident’s impact was downplayed. Read more
Rhode Island’s RIBridges Hack: Data Leaked on Dark Web on New Year’s Day
Hackers breached Rhode Island’s RIBridges system, compromising sensitive data of around 650,000 individuals. Managed by Deloitte, the system was offline since December 13 due to the breach. The group Brain Cipher claimed responsibility, releasing the data on the dark web, which includes records from Medicaid and SNAP beneficiaries. The state is working with Deloitte to identify affected individuals and provide credit monitoring services. Read more
Pro-Russian Hackers NoName057 Launch Coordinated Cyberattacks Against Italy
Pro-Russian hacker group NoName057 executed DDoS attacks on December 29, 2024, targeting Milan’s airports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The attacks caused temporary outages and were characterized as retaliation for Italy’s support of Ukraine. Italy’s cybersecurity agency responded promptly, restoring services within two hours, while investigations by postal police are ongoing. Read more
Harley-Davidson Data Breach Exposes Thousands of Customer Records: 888 Claims Cyberattack
Harley-Davidson is facing a data breach involving sensitive information of over 66,700 customers, allegedly leaked by cybercriminal group “888.” The compromised data, available on the dark web, includes names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. Harley-Davidson has not confirmed the breach. Read more
Massive Healthcare Breaches Prompt Overhaul of US Cybersecurity Rules
The U.S. is revamping cybersecurity regulations following a surge in healthcare breaches. Proposed amendments to HIPAA will enforce mandatory encryption, multi-factor authentication, and network segmentation to protect sensitive patient data. The updates aim to address the rise in breaches involving hacking and ransomware. Read more
