Cyberattack on Red Cross Puts Half a Million ‘Vulnerable’ People At Risk
The International Committee of the Red Cross has revealed that hackers have stolen data on over 515,000 "highly vulnerable people," recipients of aid and services from at least 60 affiliates of the charitable organization worldwide, forcing the aid organization to temporarily halt a program that reunites families torn apart by violence, migration or other tragedies.
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Red Cross at work following Haiti earthquake. Photo via Flickr
The International Committee of the Red Cross has revealed that hackers have stolen data on over 515,000 “highly vulnerable people,” recipients of aid and services from at least 60 affiliates of the charitable organization worldwide, forcing the aid organization to temporarily halt a program that reunites families torn apart by violence, migration or other tragedies, reports NPR.
The biggest concern is that the hackers will ransom, leak or sell sensitive information on the families and their locations to bad actors who might seek to cause further harm to victims. While the Red Cross hasn’t yet attributed the attack to specific cybercriminals, terrorists or nation-state hackers, it has partnered with “highly specialized firms” to help deal with what it’s calling a “sophisticated” attack.
Vulnerable people can be ideal targets for other possible scams and extortion, while refugees can become political pawns in broader geopolitical conflicts. Meanwhile, experts have called for an international response to the cyberattack against the Red Cross and argue that more well-endowed funders as well as tech companies should shoulder some of the cost of improving cybersecurity for humanitarian organizations in general that rarely have the resources for advanced defenses.
