A terrifying twist to Christmas was introduced by the cyber underworld as carols filled the air and families gathered: “Leaksmas,” a time of year when massive data leaks targeting people and organizations across took place. 

With 22 million records exposed from the archives of a major telecom company in Peru, to 2.5 million customer profiles given up by a fashion business in Vietnam, “Leaksmas” flooded the internet with a ton of private data. 

French corporations, Chilean government offices, and a Russian sushi restaurant disclosed everything from contact details to bank account details & identity papers. This map illustrates the devastating cybercrime reach, which affects every region of the world.

Motivation Not Only for Profits

Although money is undoubtedly a component, “Leaksmas” reveals a delicate picture of motivations. Some organizations overtly promoted anti-government beliefs. Also, they presented their disclosures as “Christmas presents” to aid particular causes. 

This adds another level to the complex danger landscape by emphasizing the possibility that ideological objectives could drive cyberattacks. Not to be outdone, the hacktivist coalition known as “Five Families” entered the contest and focused on Indian resources and Chinese apparel retailers.

The increasing complexity & coordination of cybercriminal networks are highlighted by this collaboration across divergent entities. As a result, it presents a significant challenge to the cybersecurity realm. Not only did the stolen data end up in the digital abyss, but it became a joyous feast as well for thieves.

Cybercriminals were keen to sell their pilfered credit cards before they expired, so they offered them at steep discounts. Taking advantage of the online activities’ spike during the holidays, underground sellers offered “look-up services” for identity theft & loan fraud. 

This spike in hostile activity highlights how fraud & data breaches are twisted, with stolen data. This stolen data is acting as the currency for a variety of illegal operations.