Oyster card account hack: Kaspersky comment
August 2019 by David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, Global Research Analysis Team (GReAT) chez Kaspersky Lab
Following the news that Oyster card accounts have been hacked, please find below a comment from David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky on the dangers of reusing passwords.
“Today’s news is yet another reminder of how cyber-criminals are targeting all areas of our lives. Cybercriminals will never stop trying to compromise systems to obtain valuable personal information - including personal details, payment card information and other valuable data that can be used for criminal purposes. We commend Oyster on its reaction and encourage more businesses to take a step back and re-evaluate their security strategy regularly, to ensure that their security strategy remains effective.
However, with the supposed hackers using third-parties to take advantage of customers that have recycled passwords and logins for other websites, it is clear that people must also do more to recognise their responsibilities to be more savvy. When people reuse passwords, they are leaving themselves incredibly vulnerable, because they’re essentially offering the criminals who have stolen data in one breach an easy chance to take over any other account where they have used the same credentials. It’s like having one key to unlock everything – not a good idea. As such, consumers must make sure that they are not using the same passwords for multiple sites. As cybercrime and large scale scams continue to increase, it is even more likely that people will fall victim to online fraud which will make the need for protection even more important.”