In Wake of ‘Mother of All Breaches,’ Six Warning Signs Organizations Should Watch For are Shared

NEW YORK–In the wake of what has been called the “mother of all breaches,” IT execs and organizations are being offered six warning signs to be watched.

According to researchers with Security Discovery and Cybernews, they uncovered a whopping 26 billion in leaked entries associated with LinkedIn, Twitter.com, Tencent, Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Telegram as well as other platforms.

These include government agencies in the U.S., Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, and Turkey, among others. In all, some 12-terabytes in information was breaches, according to the researchers.

Entrepreneur.com has assembled a half-dozen warning signs to be wary of, noting the heightened risk of identity theft.

What to Watch For

It recommended businesses pay attention to the following when monitoring their infrastructure, according to Entrepreneur.com, include:

• Uncommon access scenarios. “In light of a data breach like this, keeping a close eye on access logs for any unusual activity is critical. A sudden surge in requests or unfamiliar IP addresses could indicate unauthorized entry. Logins during non-standard hours, especially outside of ordinary business hours, may be considered malicious activity as well,” the report said.
• Suspicious account activity. “In an attempt to take over the compromised account, scammers may reveal themselves through unexpected adjustments in user privileges or alterations to account roles,” Entrepreneur.com stated. “Frequent changes in login locations, irregular login times, and spikes in data access are also red flags.”
• Surge in phishing attempts. Entrepreneur.com noted “Massive breaches often provide fertile ground for cybercriminals to launch phishing attacks targeting employees or customers related to affected brands. Unscheduled phishing training or educational campaigns may help your staff and clients recognize phishing scams at early stages.”
• Abnormal network traffic. “Another alert of malicious activity is unexplained spikes in outbound traffic and unusual communication patterns between internal systems,” the report said.
• Boost in helpdesk requests. “A growing volume of user requests to the support team can also indicate a problem, especially when there is a sudden surge in inquiries related to compromised accounts or suspicious activities,” according to Entrepreneur.com.
• Customer feedback. “An influx of complaints about unauthorized access, account compromises, or suspicious transactions should trigger an immediate investigation,” the report stated.