Amazon, Microsoft & Apple + Fortune 500 Face Subdomain Cyberthreats: CyberInt

One in four Fortune 500 companies including IT giants such as Microsoft and Ap-ple currently hold subdomains that are sufficiently insecure to be open to attacks from threat actors orchestrating a new cyber scam known as “subdomain jacking.”

Research conducted by cybersecurity company CyberInt reveals that millions of Fortune 500 company customers are now at risk from poorly secured, abandoned subdomains that can be used as phishing sites to obtain personal information and credentials. CyberInt’s research revealed this vulnerability in a large number of organizations including Microsoft, Apple and Amazon, all of whom were contacted and who are now addressing their vulnerability.

A staggering 236 million users visit abandoned subdomains of 96% of Fortune 500 companies daily – which means that they are vulnerable to orchestrated phishing attempts by threat actors. Twenty-five percent of the vulnerable subdomains are in the top Fortune 100.

One unused content delivery network (CDN) provided by a major global telecoms business is still being linked to by the websites or applications of a popular video game company and a major comic/film/entertainment brand, amongst others. In turn, these two former CDN domains could be used to launch an attack against multiple Fortune 500 and multinational organizations.

Potential victims can also be directed by spoof advertisements or other promotional campaigns exposing the Fortune 500 companies to brand impersonation and revenue loss due to customer churn. With the European Union’s far-reaching General Data Protection Regulation now in effect, this vulnerability is also exposing companies to legal action and potential fines from European regulators.

To detect and respond to the problem in the most effective and efficient way, CyberInt offers a simple three-step process, using CyberInt’s open and automated scanning tool as well as real-time response actions: First, CyberInt has created a quick automated tool that scans company domains and subdomains, identifying poorly secured, abandoned subdomains in real time. Secondly, once detected, CyberInt provides immediate service to disconnect the record redirect; and lastly, the ability to continuously monitor the organization’s online assets.

Itay Yankovski, CyberInt co-founder and SVP Strategy, said, “Over 100 Fortune 500 companies, including a number of household names such as Microsoft, are walking into this cybersecurity pitfall with their eyes shut. Unless they address the problem immediately, they risk brand damage, a massive loss in consumer confidence, a potential loss of investor confidence, and major fines from the EU for failing to secure their sub-domains adequately.”

©Technuter.com News Service

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