Red Cross forced to shutter family reunion service following cyberattack and data leak

Humanitarian organization the International Red Cross disclosed this week that it has fallen foul of a cyberattack that saw the data of over 515,000 "highly vulnerable people" exposed to an unknown entity. The target of the attack was the organisation's Restoring Family Links operation, which strives to find missing persons …

[Korev]

Red Cross forced to shutter family reunion service following cyberattack and data leak

What's wrong with the word "shut"?

[MiguelC]

Re: Shut vs. Shuttered

You might enjoy this

[tiggity]

Or just the word suspend ...

[Secondrule]

Postpone

[bpfh]

Shuttered

Or cofferdam, or “filled with concrete”

[Anonymous Coward]

They're assuming the perpetrators have the slightest shred of human decency; I doubt that is the case. Remember we're talking about people who have no idea nor care who they're hurting when they steal financial or personal information; your life is just potential profit to them.

[JakeMS]

Oh? The data was stolen by Facebook and co?

[Anonymous Coward]

Zuck broke into your computer and stole your family photos instead of waiting for you to post them, did he?

[JakeMS]

Well, if zuck has my family photos obtained from my computer, absolutely yes.

I've never had a facebook account, nor other social media. I don't upload them so... if he has them?

[Dabooka]

Spot on

It's just these are not listed on a stock exchange anywhere otherwise that profile fits many a company...

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah yes, .aspx

No need to state the obvious..

[ShadowSystems]

Name & shame.

We need to be able to name & shame the criminals that did this. Hopefully local folks to the criminals will make their lives hell for being such shit stains on society.

[Potemkine!]

Never underestimate the evilness of human beings. May those bastards rot in hell.

[Roger Kynaston]

I hope it wasn't a state actor

That is all!

[Antonius_Prime]

Re: I hope it wasn't a state actor

More than likely was, probably in an attempt to locate their own targets or to sow discord if and when needed.

As others have stated: sh*t stains, the lot of 'em...

[jgard]

Re: I hope it wasn't a state actor

Absolutely, it was. That's the first thing that occured to me - it's the perfect tracking tool for China, Saudi Arabia and all the other autocratic states.

I may be giving too much credit here, but surely, no person or hacking group is so fucked up and morally destitute as to willingly stop displaced people finding loved ones? State actors yes, but criminals? Surely (hopefully) not?

[Anonymous Coward]

Quote

"Your actions could potentially cause yet more harm and pain to those who have already endured untold suffering. The real people, the real families behind the information you now have are among the world's least powerful. Please do the right thing. Do not share, sell, leak or otherwise use this data."

Bollocks. It was YOUR inaction on security that allowed this to happen. You are responsible for looking after their data. Deal with it and stop looking for someone, nay anyone to blame. It is your fault.

No doubt lessons will be learned. Yeah, right... same old bullshit

[Roger Kynaston]

Re: Quote

My you are angry! In the narrow sense of the word you are right in that the ICRC has allowed an attack to work - likely through inaction. It was still a criminal act though - breaking into an unlocked house is still breaking and entering.

However, in the quote from the spokesperson I don't see them trying to shift blame - rather they are appealing to whoever did steal the information not to make use of what they have stolen. Can you condemn them for that?