The incident compromised the personal data and confidential information of more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people," the Red Cross reports.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) this week confirmed a cyberattack against servers holding its data has compromised the personal and confidential data of more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people."
This data came from at least 60 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world, officials stated. The attack did not target the ICRC directly but rather an external company in Switzerland the ICRC contracts to store its information. So far there are no immediate signs of who might be responsible.
Due to the attack, officials have shut down the systems underpinning its Restoring Family Links network, affecting their ability to run a program that seeks to reunite family members separated by conflict, disaster, or migration. "We are working as quickly as possible to identify workarounds to continue this vital work," they said.
There is no sign so far indicating the data has been publicly shared. In a statement, officials implore the attackers not to sell, leak, or otherwise use the data. The ICRC's most pressing concern is the potential risk of confidential information being shared and potentially affecting the people the Red Cross and Red Crescent aim to protect, officials stated.
Read the ICRC's full notice for more information.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
The fuel in the new AI race: Data
April 23, 2024Securing Code in the Age of AI
April 24, 2024Beyond Spam Filters and Firewalls: Preventing Business Email Compromises in the Modern Enterprise
April 30, 2024Key Findings from the State of AppSec Report 2024
May 7, 2024Is AI Identifying Threats to Your Network?
May 14, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024