Cosmos Bank Cyber Attack – Hackers Stole Over 78 Crore

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The Cosmos cooperative bank in Pune, among the city’s oldest urban cooperative banks, has fallen prey to cyber fraudsters. Hackers gained access to the bank’s system and stole Rs 94 crore.

A court in Maharashtra’s Pune had found 11 persons guilty. Fahim Shaikh and Mohammad Saeed Iqbal Hussain Jafari of Bhiwandi, Fahim Khan and Shaikh Mohammed Abdul Jabbar of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Mahesh Rathod of Nanded, Naresh Maharana of Palghar, U A Waz alias Anthony, Bashir Ahmed and Feroz Shaikh of Mumbai, and Abdulla Shaikh and Salman Baig of Thane were convicted.

The Largest Cyber Assaults on An Indian Bank

On August 11, 2018, numerous cloned debit cards of Cosmos Bank were used for thousands of ATM transactions from India and 28 other countries over seven hours.

Reports say a further set of 2,800 transactions totaling Rs 2.5 crore were done in various locations nationwide, while more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals totaling almost Rs 78 crore were made outside of India.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) service was also used to transfer an additional Rs 13.92 crore to a Hong Kong-based organization on August 13, 2018. 

According to the police investigation, Visa cards were used for transactions outside India, while RuPay cards were used for transactions within India.

Notably, in this case, which was reported to the Chaturshringi police station under the provisions of sections 120B, 420, 467, 468, 469, 471, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the corresponding sections of the Information Technology Act, a total of Rs 94 crore was siphoned.

A bank official claims that early investigation indicates that the hacking activity originated in Canada.

According to the Indian bank, cybercriminals targeted its ATM infrastructure in the first intrusion. It did not disclose how the attack occurred.

Still, it did say that malware was used to disconnect the ATM infrastructure from the central switching system, preventing it from receiving real-time information about cash withdrawals from ATMs.

“We have filed a complaint and are also taking help from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the RBI to see what can be done,” said Krishnakumar Goyal, a director of the cooperative bank.

He continued by saying that no clients were impacted and that the bank had suffered a loss due to the money being taken out of a pool account.

Pune Court Declares the Accused Guilty

The police arrested 18 people throughout their investigation for their claimed involvement in the cyberattack, who came from various areas. According to the authorities, one accused had passed away, and 17 were being held behind bars.

The majority of people arrested, according to the police, were primarily involved in following handlers’ instructions to withdraw cash from various ATMs using Cosmos Bank cloned cards. The police believe that some of the money they withdrew was given to them as a commission by the racketeers.

Fahim Shaikh, Fahim Khan, Shaikh Mohammed Abdul Jabbar, Mahesh Rathod, Naresh Maharana, Mohammad Saeed Iqbal Hussain Jafari, and Anthony were among the 11 found guilty and given simple imprisonment of four years and seven months, according to the press statement.

According to the release, Feroz Shaikh and Salman Baig received three years of simple jail, while Abdulla Shaikh and Bashir Ahmed received four years each.

Four additional people are still wanted in connection with the investigation, three of whom — Kunal Shukla, Abdul Bhai, and Sumer Shaikh — are believed to be in Dubai, according to the police.

Finally, the Pune City Police and Cosmos Bank successfully recovered Rs 5.72 crore that the scammers had fraudulently placed into a bank in Hong Kong after the malware assault.

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LockBit and Cl0p ransomware gangs actively exploiting Papercut vulnerabilities

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Vulnerabilities in PaperCut printing management are being used in ransomware attacks.

A few days ago we wrote about two vulnerabilities found in PaperCut application servers. As we noted, exploitation was fairly simple so there was some urgency to install the patches. My esteemed colleague Chris Boyd literally wrote:

“Arbitrary code can be deployed, or even ransomware if that’s part of the attacker’s toolkit.”

As it turns out, there are already two flavors of ransomware preying on those that haven’t updated yet.

A Cl0p affiliate, branded as DEV-0950 by Microsoft has already incorporated the PaperCut exploits into its attacks. This affiliate has also been known to use the GoAnywhere zero-day that basically brought Cl0p back from the dead last month.

In a surprising turn of events for the ransomware landscape, Cl0p emerged as the most used ransomware in March 2023, coming out of nowhere to dethrone the usual frontrunner, LockBit.

Known ransomware attacks in March 2023, listed by gang
Known ransomware attacks in March 2023, listed by gang

But don’t rule the habitual frontrunner LockBit out just yet. Microsoft Threat Intelligence said in a tweet that it’s “monitoring other attacks also exploiting these vulnerabilities, including intrusions leading to Lockbit deployment.”

PaperCut is printing management software that works by intercepting print jobs as they pass into a print queue. It’s used by large companies, state organizations, and education institutes because it is compatible with all major printer brands and platforms. This makes a vulnerability, especially one that is as easy to exploit, a virtual goldmine for ransomware peddlers, and puts a bullseye on anyone that is running an unpatched server.

Both the underlying vulnerabilities have been addressed with patches. If you update your PaperCut application servers, you are no longer at risk. From the Updating FAQ:

  • Please follow your usual upgrade procedure. Additional links on the ‘Check for updates’ page (accessed through the Admin interface > About > Version info > Check for updates) will allow customers to download fixes for previous major versions which are still supported (e.g. 20.1.7 and 21.2.11) as well as the current version available.
  • If you are using PaperCut MF, we highly recommend following your regular upgrade process. Your PaperCut partner or reseller information can also be found on the ‘About’ tab in the PaperCut admin interface.

If you’re unable to upgrade, PaperCut advises the following:

  • Block all inbound traffic from external IPs to the web management port (port 9191 and 9192 by default)
  • Block all traffic inbound to the web management portal on the firewall to the server. Note: this will prevent lateral movement from internal hosts but management of the PaperCut service can only be performed on that asset.
  • Apply “Allow list” restrictions under Options > Advanced > Security > Allowed site server IP addresses. Set this to only allow the IP addresses of verified Site Servers on your network. Note this only addresses ZDI-CAN-19226 / PO-1219.

How to avoid ransomware

  • Block common forms of entry. Create a plan for patching vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems quickly; disable or harden remote access like RDP and VPNs; use endpoint security software that can detect exploits and malware used to deliver ransomware.
  • Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
  • Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware, and ransomware rollback to restore damaged system files.
  • Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
  • Don’t get attacked twice. Once you’ve isolated the outbreak and stopped the first attack, you must remove every trace of the attackers, their malware, their tools, and their methods of entry, to avoid being attacked again.

Malwarebytes removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.

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Galaxy A14 5G gets One UI 5.1 in the US, along with April patch

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Samsung is pushing the One UI 5.1 update to the Galaxy A14 5G in the US. The rollout began recently for users on Verizon’s network. The company should cover eligible units on all carriers across the nation over the next few days. The update also brings the April 2023 Android security patch.

Samsung launched the Galaxy A14 5G in January this year. It was the first Galaxy device to arrive in the US in 2023. The budget smartphone came running Android 13-based One UI 5.0 out of the box. One UI 5.1 wasn’t ready back then as it debuted with the Galaxy S23 series in February.

Over the past couple of months, Samsung has pushed One UI 5.1 to several dozen Galaxy smartphones and tablets around the world. The Galaxy A14 5G started picking up the new One UI version in March. Following the initial release in a handful of Asian countries, the company expanded the rollout to Europe and other regions earlier this month. It has now reached the US as well.

The One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy A14 5G on Verizon’s network comes with the firmware build number A146USQU2BWD4, SammyFans reports. Users on other networks should also get this release with a similar build number. More importantly, your phone will pick up a host of goodies with this update. Among those are a new Shared Family Album in Gallery, new gestures for minimizing or maximizing windows, enhanced modes and routines, activity-based wallpapers, dynamic widgets, and smart suggestions.

On top of these goodies, the Galaxy A14 5G is also gaining this month’s security patches. Samsung says the April SMR (Security Maintenance Release) contains fixes for more than 70 vulnerabilities. At least five of those are critical flaws. The company has already released the May security patch but the Galaxy A14 5G may not get it. This budget phone is only eligible for quarterly security updates. The company will skip a few releases and update it once every three months or so. Security updates will come at least until January 2027, though.

Galaxy A14 5G will also get Android 14 and Android 15

Along with four years of security updates, Samsung also promises two major Android OS updates for the Galaxy A14 5G. That means it will receive Android 14 and Android 15, along with the company’s latest One UI skin. Android 14 will bring One UI 6.0 and may start rolling at the fag end of this year or early next year. We will keep you posted.


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New Flat Panel Haptics to enable tactile feedback on touchscreens

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It’s no secret that ever since the first full touchscreen smartphones hit the market, keypads and keyboards have slowly disappeared. And while touchscreens have allowed for more screen real estate and greater app functionality, there is still a big fraction of people who prefer a tactile feel when interacting or typing on their smartphones. Now, to address this issue, researchers from the Future Interfaces Group (FIG) at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new technology called “Flat Panel Haptics.”

The Flat Panel Haptics technology uses Embedded Electroosmotic Pumps (EEOPs) stacked under an OLED panel to create protrusions based on different scenarios. Therefore, when an on-screen element requires a pop-up button, fluid fills a section of the EEOP layer and bends the OLED panel on top, creating a button that protrudes from the flat surface by as much as 1.5 mm and providing tactile feedback for users. And when the user or the software dismisses it, the liquid recedes.

“In this work, we present a new approach and vision for miniaturizing haptic shape-changing displays. Flat panel haptics takes inspiration from LCD flat panel visual displays, which embed their actuator element directly in a thin, compact form factor, and allow control of a display element through an applied voltage,” says FIG.

Advantages of the Technology and the Future

While other researchers and companies have attempted to create similar technologies in the past, the required hardware was always too bulky and inconvenient. However, the pumps developed by the Carnegie Mellon team make the entire system compact and thin, with a thickness of just 5mm. Moreover, the technology is self-contained and self-powered and only adds 40 grams of weight to the device.

The FIG believes that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with electronics. This is because touch screens, while on one hand, offer ample real estate for apps to display content and other information, they are challenging to navigate for people with visual impairment. Therefore, with the use of tactile touch displays, visually impaired users can use their smartphones without relying on auditory feedback.


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TCP vs UDP – What is the Difference?

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TCP and UDP

If you have ever had to configure a firewall, set up a router, or choose the best VPN for your computer, chances are you heard of the TCP and UDP protocols. However, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably confused about what they are, their purpose, and their main characteristics.

Today, we’ll look at the differences between TCP and UDP and the reasons why there are two transport layer protocols.

What is Transport Protocol?

Before we can dive deeper into the differences between TCP and UDP, you should know what a transport protocol is in the first place.

Both the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Transport Control Protocol (TCP) are mechanisms used by applications and software to transfer packets of data on the Internet.

In a nutshell, whenever you send data on the internet (such as sending a file over Skype or Facebook, or just a mail), the transfer protocol is like a postman that sends that information to the destination by splitting it into several small packages (packets).

They are both built on the IP protocol, meaning that each packet sent by either protocol is forwarded to an IP address through a series of intermediary routers.

In fact, neither one of them interacts directly with the IP layer. You probably heard of them as TCP/IP and UDP/IP – it’s the same thing. People call them TCP and UDP for the sake of simplicity.

However, they are, by far, the most used; the TCP and UDP are not the only two protocols working on top of IP. For example, many different VPN protocols are used to hide and encrypt data.

What is the TCP?

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that sends packets back and forth from the sender to the destination and vice-versa. It ensures that every packet is delivered to the server in the exact order it was sent initially by establishing a two-sided connection between the sender and receiver.

It also uses a flow control mechanism that stores data in buffers. This way, the application will send data only when it’s ready to be received, preventing the sender from being overwhelmed and avoiding bottlenecks. However, all this overhead work means that TCP is usually slower.

When is it More Convenient To Use TCP?

TCP is a reliable transmission protocol that ensures that data is sent in a specific order and error-checked at all times. Since packets are tracked and checked for corruption, no data is ever lost even if network issues occur in between.

TCP is the best choice if you are hosting a website or need to ensure that data is sent correctly and without risk of corruption. However, you need both sides to be online or communication cannot be set up.

Pros of TCP

  • Very reliable
  • Data lost will be resent
  • Delivery is guaranteed
  • Packets are checked for errors and corruption

Cons of TCP

  • Requires both sides to be online during the transfer
  • Slower than UDP
  • Doesn’t work offline

What is UDP?

As specified in the RFC768 document, UDP is the most straightforward protocol, quickest, and most efficient. Packets are lightweight since they’re sent with minimal headers, and no connection is established before datagrams are sent (connectionless). UDP is used to send emails – you send them even if the receiver it’s offline.

To keep things more straightforward (and faster), no recovery is set – all corrupted or missing packets are discarded and not requested again. The sender will keep sending the packets, regardless of whether the recipient receives them.

Packets are sent in a continuous stream with no flow control, meaning that data is transferred much quicker than TCP, but if a network issue occurs, all packets are dropped.

When is it More Convenient to Use UDP?

To keep things simple, UDP is better than TCP whenever you need speed over reliability. For example, it is the ideal choice in online gaming, where you only care about what’s happening in real time.

If you lost a packet while shooting someone, there’s no point in receiving it later. Other examples are applications that require speed and efficiency such as broadcasting platforms or streaming networks. UDP is usually preferred in log management activities to avoid TCP-related timeouts or connection issues.

Pros of UDP

  • Extremely quick and efficient
  • Reduced network traffic
  • Doesn’t require both parties to be connected

Cons of UDP

  • Delivery is never guaranteed
  • Packets may get lost or corrupted
  • Data cannot be sequenced

Conclusion

Both the TCP and UDP protocols have their benefits and drawbacks. Depending on your needs, you may prefer one or the other. Even today, many technologies, such as emails or online gaming, require the use of either a connectionless rather than a connection-oriented protocol, regardless of overhead, reliability, or speed.

Written By: Cyber Writes


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Could the Pixel Tablet be too niche?

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All eyes are on Google this year as the company is going to bring the first tablet into its Pixel family. At the time of writing this article, the price for it hasn’t been revealed. However, we know how much the charging dock is going to cost, and it’s pretty pricey at $129. So, it seems that Google is gearing up to offer an interesting tablet. The question is, could the Pixel Tablet be a bit too niche to pick up?

The mentality behind the Pixel Tablet is the same mentality behind notebook foldable phones: having one device that can switch modes and basically transform into another. In the case of the Pixel Tablet, it will act as a tablet when undocked and a smart display when docked.

It’s a neat idea! While this has been done before, it hasn’t been done with much success. Enter Google to turn this gimmick from trashed to trendy. The only thing is that we’re in the middle of a global economic struggle. People are watching every penny they spend that much closer, so it’s much more important to sell a tablet that will appeal to more people.

The Pixel Tablet might be a bit too niche

The Pixel Tablet is shaping up to be a pretty capable device. We’re looking at a large screen with a nice resolution, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and the powerful Google Tensor G2 SoC. The fact that this tablet’s going to be built from the ground up for this chip only sweetens the deal.

However, as powerful as this device is, it’s still a tablet. The tablet market has been on a consistent decline over the years, and it’s still falling despite the boost it got during the pandemic. So, getting people to buy the Pixel Tablet in the first place is already a struggle.

Also, while we’re still in the dark on the price, let’s not mince words; this is going to be a flagship tablet, so we should expect a flagship price.

Now, let’s factor in the next part of the equation, the dock. This is what’s going to turn this tablet into a smart display. More specifically, it’s going to turn it into a Nest Hub. At $129, the charging dock is a bit pricey. It’s not horrendous, but the fact that the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) costs $99 shines a pretty harsh light on it.

What makes it the Pixel Tablet niche?

Now, the reason why the Pixel Tablet could be too niche is that it’s trying to appeal to two niche markets at the same time. It’s looking to appeal to the tablet user and the smart display user. One might say that this is a good thing. Appealing to more markets might make it more likely that people will buy it.

However, it may not be as direct as that. Google is looking to appeal to the market of people who simultaneously want to use a tablet and a smart display. Those are two niche markets in and of themselves. The Pixel Tablet is meant to appeal to the Venn diagram intersection of those two markets, and that might be a small section of the graph.

Are there enough people out there who want both to justify a second-generation Pixel Tablet? While companies have blended tablets and smart displays before, there’s never really been a huge need for it. So, expecting someone to tack on an additional $129 for the full Pixel Tablet experience might be too much.

Without the stand, there’s not much to set it apart

The fact that the stand is a separate accessory that you’ll need to purchase might pose an issue because without it, what else is there to differentiate it from the other tablets?

The thing with Galaxy Tabs and iPads is that they have an immediate audience. It doesn’t matter what those devices have or lack, fans will flock to those devices en masse. Surface tablets have a full desktop operating system loaded onto them.

Those are the tablets that the Pixel Tablet is going to trade blows with when it launches; the upper-tier tablets. So, what will the Pixel Tablet have to combat them? Well, there’s the ability for it to seamlessly convert into a smart display. That’s significant, and there’s no doubt that this will attract some users.

But this tablet is going to need to appeal to the masses in order to maximize profits, and the common consumer won’t want to pay an additional $129. So, without the addition of the charging stand, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t have much to set it apart.

Sure, you get the optimized Android tablet experience, but there are other tablets like the OnePlus Pad, newer Galaxy Tabs, and the Lenovo tablets that have this. Yes, you’ll have the integration between it and other Pixel devices, but that requires you to have other Pixel devices.

As far as the specs go, there’s nothing that will make this tablet turn heads. We can expect the tablet to perfectly leverage the Tensor G2 SoC, but it has 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 2K display, four speakers, and a decent battery. These are really good, but nothing sticks out. The defining trait of the Pixel Tablet is its dock- an attachment.

The price could be the make-or-break aspect

One of the missing pieces to the puzzle is the price. We’re still in the dark about how much this tablet is going to cost. As stated, the specs are really good. They’re not extreme, but they could facilitate a hefty price tag.

However, there’s a chance that Google could wow us with the price. The trick is to sway people away from the Galaxy Tabs and the iPads of the world. So, if Google prices this tablet at or around the price for those tablets, then that’ll be a hard task chipping at their fanbases.

If Google can price this tablet low enough to (while making a profit, of course) undercut some of the mid-tier and upper-tier tablets from competitors, that could be a solid win for it. That would also convince customers to invest in the charging stand.

The Pixel Tablet seems like an interesting device, but there are some factors going against it at the moment. Maybe Google will surprise us; you never know. All we know is that we’re all excited to see this tablet take on the titans of the tablet world. We expect it to launch around Google I/O.


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Sony says PS VR2 will soon be available at retailers

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The PS VR2 will soon be available at retailers, Sony says. The company announced the news on its official PlayStation Twitter account on April 27. Since its launch, the PS5-compatible headset has been excluded from retailers and was only available through the PlayStation Direct website. But that will change in the near future.

With the headset being available through more retailers than just Sony’s own website, it could help boost sales. As of right now the only place you can officially buy one at its regular price is PlayStation Direct. The headset can be found through third-party sellers at Walmart and Amazon, among others, but for hundreds more.

Opening up official sales through partners means consumers are likely to see them available physically in local stores. Alleviating the wait for shipping times. And that’s bound to help Sony grab more sales to push well beyond the current estimate of 270k to 300k that it reached within the headset’s first month back at the end of March.

Sony hasn’t said which retailers would sell the PS VR2

As of right now Sony has done no more than confirm its second-gen VR headset would be available from retail partners. It hasn’t said where consumers would be able to buy it outside of PlayStation Direct. Nor did the company mention when retailers would actually pick it up.

The company does say “soon” though, so it likely won’t be too far in the future. Engadget notes that UK retailer ShopTo is hinting at availability on May 12. So there is a chance it could show up other retailers globally on or around the same day. Though at this time it’s still unclear if that will be the case.

In addition to PS VR2 headsets making their way to other retailers, the PS5 has also reached nearly 40 million units sold worldwide.


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Video from the Google Design team teases bolder, more vibrant Material You colors in Android 14

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A video created by the Google Design team reveals much bolder color options for the Material You design language in Android 14. Inside Google, this new look is known as “Fidelity.” 9to5Google found that the bolder colors are not yet available in Android 14, but it was able to show how vibrant colors that Android takes from your wallpaper end up in your phone’s themes.
Three examples that were shown by 9to5Google include “hot pink, sports car red, lime green, and jet black.” The color theme of the app clearly changes to reflect the base wallpaper color picked by Android. In dark mode, the same base wallpaper color is used for the app’s color theme but if wallpaper that is too dark is selected, some of the base colors will not stand out against the dark background.

A video that was included in a tweet made by the Google Design team includes the word “Personal” and the tweet that was sent by the Google Design team says, “Color is personal. Why design as if everyone sees color the same way?” We should learn more about “Fidelity” and the new Material You theming in less than two weeks. On May 10th, Google I/O 2023 will be held and Android 14 will be featured prominently.
At the same time, we should hear more about upcoming devices including the Pixel Fold, the Pixel Tablet, the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8 series, and perhaps the Pixel Watch 2. You should be able to stream the event from the Made by Google YouTube channel which you can visit by tapping on this link. For more information about Google I/O 2023, visit the official website.

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American Bar Association accused of data breach

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In a class action lawsuit, the American Bar Association (ABA) has been accused of “grossly fail[ing] to comply with security standards” and causing a data breach that affected approximately 1.5 million people.

The data breach, which occurred in March 2023, saw a malicious actor gain access to the ABA’s systems and steal the data of approximately 1.4 million members. The data stolen included personal information such as name, phone number, address and email address. The lawsuit also alleges that financial information was stolen during the breach.  

The plaintiff has accused the ABA of causing and enabling the data breach by “knowing[ly] violati[ng] of its obligations to abide by best practices and industry standards in protecting customers’ personal information”. They also claimed the ABA “grossly failed to comply with security standards… all in an effort to save money by cutting corners on security measures” that may have mitigated or prevented the breach.

The lawsuit goes on to accuse the ABA of failing to inform those affected of the breach both of the breach itself and the extent of it. This, it says, prevented those affected by the breach from adequately protecting themselves.

As of the time of writing, the ABA has not formally addressed the class action lawsuit.

Samsung faces class action lawsuit following data breach

In September 2022, Samsung was hit with a class action lawsuit following a data breach in July of that year, which saw the company’s US servers hacked and customer data accessed.

Samsung confirmed on August 4, 2022 that “name, contact and demographic information, date of birth and product registration information” may have been accessed by the hackers.

The lawsuit was filed with the US District Court for Nevada on September 6 by Shelby Harmer “on behalf of Samsung’s customers whose personally identifiable information was stolen by cybercriminals”. 

The lawsuit alleges that Samsung violated privacy and contract laws as well as failing to notify affected parties in a timely manner and safeguard customer’s personal and identifying information. The lawsuit also alleges that Harmer and all others who were affected by the breach “are currently at a very high risk of misuse of their private information”.

Harmer is suing Samsung for breach of contract, negligence and invasion of privacy, and is seeking certification of the class action lawsuit, a jury trial and damages, costs and fees. 


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