Over Three Million User Addresses Leaked in CoinMarketCap Hack
CoinMarketCap, the cryptocurrency price-tracking website, recently confirmed it was the victim of a large hack, resulting in the leak of 3.1 million email addresses. The identity of the attackers remains unknown. In a press release, CoinMarketCap stated:
“CoinMarketCap has become aware that batches of data have shown up online purporting to be a list of user accounts. While the data lists we have seen are only email addresses (no passwords), we have found a correlation with our subscriber base.”
While the fact that passwords were not included in the leak will be a relief to users, the hack nonetheless constitutes yet another large-scale data leak — of the sort which nowadays seem a weekly occurrence. Several other cryptocurrencies have been the victims of similar hacks, among them Celsius, Ledger,BitMEX, and Binance. CoinMarketCap has stated that the leak did not come from their own servers — which has had users wanting to know where else the data was being stored.
Source: Twitter
Of concern is the fact that the leak was only discovered due to the consistently great work of Have I Been Pwned. The website, which tracks hacks and compromised accounts, discovered hacked email addresses being bought and sold on the dark web. When even basic email addresses carry a market value in the criminal sphere, it should indicate to users the level of risk with involved with even our most basic forms of data.
Protecting Our Data
We’d recommend checking out an app like Trend Micro’s ID Security, specifically designed to meet the challenges that data breaches bring. Available on Android and iOS, it scours the dark web for any mention of your data (email address, passwords, codes etc.) in the event of it being sold or maliciously shared by cybercriminals. Its key features include a:
- Dark Web Personal Data Manager
- Credit Card Checker
- Email Checker
- Password Checker
- Social Media Account Checker
- A Comprehensive Monitoring Report
Simple, efficient and easy-to-use, follow this link to try the free 30-day trial version — and, as ever, if this article has been of use and/or interest to you, please do SHARE it with family and friends.
