The new year breathed fresh life into the markets, as they emerged stronger following the fading of the post-presidential
election rally in December last. However, the new year has not treated some companies well, as they fell victims to hacking carried
out in varied degrees and on varied scales.
We are only three months into the new year and yet we have a bunch of hacking tales to recount. And with three-fourths of the
year spread out before us, if hackers maintain this hyper activity levels, 2017 could go down in history as one of the most
notorious years for hacking, which usually results in identity theft, data breaches, etc.
Here is the timeline of hacking events that occurred thus far in the year.
1. Stage Stores Upstaged
Stage Stores Inc (NYSE: SSI) put out a
news release through Business Wire on March 2 that the SEC
filing done by an entity called HMA Acquisition, Inc. apparently is a fake filing and has not received any offer or other
communication from it.
2. CIA's Ignominious Snoop
Julian Assange's WikiLeaks had on
March 7 published a scandalous content that exposed the complex software tools employed by the CIA to hack into the
devices and applications of companies, including Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB), SAMSUNG ELECTRONIC KRW5000 (OTC: SSNLF), etc. The first part named "Year Zero" of a series of leaks code named "Vault
7" was released this month, which vividly discussed how the CIA unethically hacked into the iPhones, Samsung TVs, WhatsApp,
etc.
3. Beast Mars Emma's Beauty
Emma Watson, whose recent flick Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS)'s "Beauty and the Beast" was recently drawn into a controversy over the leaking of her private
photos online. The act, purportedly a hacking exercise, showed photos of her trying on outfits during fittings. The star is taking
legal action to bring the perpetrators to book.
4. McDonald's Unsavory Moment
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) was in
the spotlight recently, not related to its food business, but due to a tweet sent out from its official account that disparaged
President Donald Trump. The tweet dated March 16 said, "@realDonaldTrump You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we
would love to have @BarackObama back, also you have tiny hands."
The company quickly moved in to clear the air by asserting that its account has been compromised. Subsequently, it deleted the
tweet and said it has secured the account.
5. Saks Under Scanner Over Data Breach
HUDSON'S BAY CO COM NPV (OTC: HBAYF), the
owner of retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, was a victim of data breach last week after a BuzzFeed article reported e-mail addresses and
phone numbers of several of Saks' customers in plain text online. Hudson Bay confirmed the data breach on March 19 but said key
data such as credit card information were not exposed, while it also promised speedy resolution of the issue.
Related Links:
Study:
Hackers Say Mass Surveillance Is Cybersecurity's No. 1 Threat In 2017
The State Of
Cybersecurity Stocks
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.