{"id":64190,"date":"2016-11-03T17:19:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T00:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=64190"},"modified":"2025-08-15T02:45:35","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:45:35","slug":"business-insider-breach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/business-insider-breach\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Single Password Triggered the Business Insider Breach"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to cyberattacks, publicity is a magnet. But what happens when news publications themselves become targets? One of the biggest names in business publication, Business Insider<\/a>, came under siege this week. The attack was yet another launched by the infamous OurMine, the cybercriminal group behind recent attacks on both Buzzfeed and Variety. But this time, they had accidental help from a Business Insider employee.<\/p>\n

This employee wasn\u2019t disgruntled, however, just negligent in terms of security. They aided the crooks with a simple mistake \u2013 reusing the same password across multiple sites. Someone with publishing privileges at Business Insider was said to have used that same password<\/a> across multiple sites. This was OurMine\u2019s easy way in. By discovering the password from other sources, it was easy to copy-paste it for entry into Business Insider\u2019s publishing platform.<\/p>\n

Once inside, crooks edited stories and pushed out a malicious ad that was spread across both Web and mobile versions of the publication. In typical fashion, OurMine posted on Business Insider, \u201cHey, don\u2019t worry we are just testing your security, we didn\u2019t change your password or anything. Visit our website for more information.\u201d Of course, they added a link that went to their own website. This was basically an illegal advertisement of their security services.<\/p>\n

With a pretentious air, OurMine has previously stated<\/a> their hacks are merely attempts to teach us all security lessons. However, such a back-handed effort draws attention to Business Insider\u2019s vulnerabilities as well as teaches us this \u2014 don\u2019t reuse passwords, and watch out for potentially malicious ads.<\/p>\n

Things to Keep in Mind to Protect Yourself Online<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Double check before clicking on unfamiliar ads.<\/strong> It\u2019s possible to evaluate the security of any link, before clicking. Many browsers have built-in safeguards, but you can never be too safe when surfing the Web. Double up with security solutions like McAfee WebAdvisor<\/a>, which can scan Web pages for malicious links.<\/li>\n
  2. Use unique passwords for every account.<\/strong> While the most basic step to account security is avoiding weak passwords (think \u201cpassword1234\u201d), it\u2019s also imperative to differentiate them across your accounts. Need help remembering all of your long, strong passwords? A password management solution<\/a> could really come in handy.<\/li>\n
  3. Don\u2019t believe noble claims by cybercriminals.<\/strong> Many cyber crooks are really just wolves in sheep\u2019s clothing. It\u2019s common for them to use tactics like social engineering<\/a> to trick victims into visiting a dangerous site. Should you ever encountering bold claims from tech-savvy strangers \u2014 whether on websites, in texts, emails, or other channels \u2014 you should always have a careful eye. Go ahead, be skeptical.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And, of course, stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats by\u00a0following me<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@McAfee_Home<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter, and \u2018Like\u2019 us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"gary\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When it comes to cyberattacks, publicity is a magnet. But what happens when news publications themselves become targets? One of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":674,"featured_media":163464,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10661,13],"tags":[76,4452,4675],"coauthors":[3973],"class_list":["post-64190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internet-security","category-privacy-identity-protection","tag-cybercrime","tag-cybersecurity","tag-password-security"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow a Single Password Triggered the Business Insider Breach | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of the biggest names in business publication, Business Insider, came under siege this week. 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