MOVEit-Related Data Breaches Continue to Rise as Hackers Publish Stolen Information Online

A wave of mass hacks exploiting a security flaw in the MOVEit file transfer tool has affected over 200 organizations worldwide, with multiple high-profile companies confirming that sensitive data has been accessed by hackers.

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The Scope of the Breach

According to Brett Callow, threat analyst at Emsisoft, the widely exploited vulnerability in Progress Software’s MOVEit file transfer service has led to at least 33 data breach disclosures so far. This has resulted in over 17.5 million individuals having their sensitive information compromised.

Shell Confirms Data Breach

Energy giant Shell has confirmed that hackers accessed ‘some personal information relating to employees’ as a result of the exploitation of its MOVEit Transfer tool, which was used by a small number of Shell employees and customers. The company did not provide further details on what data was accessed or how many individuals were affected.

First Merchants Bank Also Impacted

First Merchants Bank, an Indiana-based banking giant with over $18 billion in assets, has also confirmed a data breach affecting sensitive customer information resulting from the MOVEit hacks. The bank stated that hackers accessed customers’ addresses, Social Security numbers, online banking usernames, payee information, and financial account information.

Clop Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility

The Russia-linked Clop ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the mass MOVEit hacks and published data related to several organizations on its dark web leak site. The gang claims that it will ‘delete all’ data related to government agencies if they pay the ransom demand.

Education Sector Impacted

Several new victims have confirmed MOVEit-related data breaches in recent days, including the U.K.’s Cambridgeshire County Council, Dublin Airport, and Wisconsin-based Madison College. Madison College is just one of a number of schools that have confirmed MOVEit-related breaches, which stem from security incidents affecting the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA).

Potential Impact on Schools

Given the number of organizations in the education sector affected by MOVEit so far, it’s possible that the majority of schools in the U.S. will also have been impacted. Callow notes that at least eight organizations, including NSC, were delisted from Clop’s leak site in recent days.

Additional Victims

Other organizations affected by the MOVEit hacks include:

Energy giants Siemens Energy and Schneider Electric
Law firm Proskauer
City National Bank

What to Do If You’re Affected

If you work at an organization that’s been impacted or have more information about the breach, you can contact Carly Page securely on Signal at +441536 853968 or via email at carly.page@techcrunch.com.