In the News
In Bugs Rack Web Host Sites and Flight-Booking System, Kacy Zurkus at The Verge discusses security vulnerabilities that allowed for potential account take-over on multiple platforms. Zurkus elaborates that these vulnerabilities were found plaguing Bluehost, a hosting site, and Amadeus, a digital system used by large airlines for reservations. Zurkus explains that general personal information, as well as financial information, was exposed.
Our Take
Online platforms and sites that traffic millions of users for multiple purposes contain enormous amounts of personal information. It is for this reason that security flaws and bugs on these sites have the potential to be extremely damaging and dangerous. While it is good that the bugs were identified, their existence and the frequency of technological flaws disrupting user data privacy is frustrating and emphasizes the need for regulatory change. For companies such as the airlines using the Amadeus platform, further pressure must be placed on the used platform to enforce and monitor security processes to protect their customers. Platforms such as Amadeus and Bluehost may not sound like widely popular platforms to all, but they are popular in their given sector and represent a common trend in data exposure of companies being impacted that are not the stereotypical big names. Data breaches and security threats occur daily at all sorts of companies and being aware of this reality is the first step in protecting your data online.
Recommendations
How can you protect your personal and financial information while using online platforms?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Minimize the number of accounts that have direct access to your bank account or card numbers
- Frequently make sure to update apps and software to avoid running flawed programs
- Don’t reuse your account passwords, and take advantage of multi-factor authentication where possible.
- Stay up to date on the news regarding recent fraud and phishing attacks to see if you may have been affected