Top News
Hacker who stole over 600 mn account details strikes again (Lead)
San Francisco, Feb 15 (IANS) A hacker who stole close to 620 million user records from 16 websites has struck again, this time breaking into 127 million more records from eight more websites.
According to a TechCrunch report late on Thursday, the hacker now has 18 million user records from travel booking site Ixigo and 40 million from live-video streaming site YouNow.
“Houzz, which recently disclosed a data breach, is listed with 57 million records stolen and Ge.tt had 1.8 million accounts stolen,” said the report.
According to the hacker’s listings, Ixigo used an outdated “MD5” hashing algorithm to scramble passwords, which these days is easy to unscramble.
“YouNow doesn’t store passwords,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying.
In a statement to IANS, Ixigo said it is currently investigating this alleged security breach.
“We are a travel marketplace and we take our users data and privacy seriously. We do not store payment, cards or financial information for any of our users,” said a company spokesperson.
“We encrypt and hash our passwords with a one-way hashing algorithm. While we have already taken pre-emptive security measures such as two-factor authentication, we will also, as a precaution, reset passwords and security tokens of our users,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier, the same hacker claimed he had user records from several major sites like more than 151 million records from MyFitnessPal and 25 million records from Animoto.
It has been claimed that databases, which are aimed at making “life easier” for hackers, can be purchased from the Dream Market cyber-souk, located in the Tor network, for less than $20,000 in bitcoin.
The stolen information mainly includes account holders’ names, email addresses and passwords, according to the report that appeared this week.
The price appears to be relatively cheap because the information is targeted at spammers and credential stuffers who could use the information to also get access to other sites for which the users use the same usernames and passwords.
While some of these websites – particularly MyHeritage, MyFitnessPal and Animoto – warned their customers last year that they had been compromised, several others have started notifying users about the hacks.
–IANS
na/bg
Top News
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.