The French site for monitoring computer crimes and misdemeanors Zataz has announced that it has spotted the hacking of 200,000 private computers. It was his watch service that made this disturbing discovery.
The Zataz monitoring service operates on the basis of private subscriptions ranging from 15 to 750 euros. For each subscription, the company monitors potential data leaks concerning its users and advises them on what to do if they are victims of hacking.
Undercover hackers
More than 200,000 home computers have been infiltrated by a group of hackers that Zataz chose not to name. This group uses computer infiltration to reach individuals’ personal data. Zataz announced that the victims were French, Swiss, Belgian, Moroccan, Ivorian, Canadian… and all French-speaking.
The method used is relatively simple. Pirates let Internet users use cracked software or fake applications that allow them, when they are installed on the computer, to infiltrate. Once inside, they just need to dump all the files and thus get some confidential information, like your passport number, passwords, emails, etc. At the same time, the hacker may have access to the sites you visit such as those of your bank, your university, your company…
Hacking for profit
The goal is not simply to steal this information, but to turn it into a nice profit. The principle is ingenious: during infiltration, the pirate takes screenshots of the stolen files, without revealing their content. These captures give the possibility of marketing these files which allow access to the extracted data. Buyers will thus have exclusive access to the victim’s codes and be able to drain his bank account, his Netflix account, his administrative and business accounts… For only 80 euros, the buyer can access ” several hundred thousand logs “Warns Damien Bancal, the founder of Zataz.
In addition to this sensitive information, hackers also sell cookies, which will allow buyers to identify themselves on sites. In the same way, they offer keys to access virtual messaging, or even keywords used by the victim. To protect yourself, Zataz advises you to change your passwords regularly, update your antivirus and, at best, subscribe to one of their subscriptions.
Source : Zataz
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