An enormous hack has hit the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The personal data of as many as 515,000 people has been stolen. The perpetrator of the attack is unknown at this time.
According to the IRCR, the hackers managed to steal personal information from databases of at least 60 national Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations. The breach includes information on highly vulnerable people, such as missing persons, family members separated by conflict, people affected by natural disasters and people in prison. The IRCR is extremely concerned that this information is being published online.
Attack via external supplier
According to the IRCR, the hackers gained access to the systems through an external supplier in Switzerland. The Red Cross headquarters is located in Geneva. The hackers managed to gain access to the Restoring Family Links system. This system helps people find relatives who have been separated due to conflict, migration or natural disasters. The ICRC has taken the system down.
Perpetrator unknown
The perpetrator of the attack is unknown at this time. It’s unlikely to be a ransomware attack. The stolen data has not yet been published online. The organization says that the hackers have hurt and injured some of the world’s most vulnerable people through the attack.