The American Land Title Association urged companies to take action after warning companies that usernames and passwords have been allegedly acquired using a phishing campaign.
In an alert on its website, ALTA stated that a person claiming to be an ethical hacker contacted the association via Twitter, providing files that contain approximately 600 data entries consisting of domain identification, IP addresses, usernames and passwords, as well as information for non-title companies.
The alert states, “There is no indication the data comes from a specific system breach. There are no signs that the credentials are still active or how they were obtained. We believe this person is also contacting individuals and companies they can identify from the data.”
In a later updated alert, ALTA noted that the information sent to it offers no indication of how the credentials were obtained, whether the credentials are current or active and if the credentials provide access to any individual company networks, software applications, online email systems or other credential-based products or services.
It said its analysis found 182 unique email addresses and 154 unique domains. The alert stated that ALTA would contact companies’ primary contact within the next 48 hours if their company domain was found.
“In the meantime, it’s important to watch for unauthorized access to your system,” the alert stated. “If you suspect that any contact information was obtained or your system was accessed, alert your IT department or engage an IT specialist to implement your information security program and response plan.”
ALTA provided suggested actions companies can take to protect their systems. These include:
- Scanning your systems and devices to make sure that you are free from malware
- Update or patch your software and operating systems
- Require your staff to update and change system passwords, especially those containing customer information and banking services
The association also suggested companies report any suspicious emails to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The alert states that companies with additional information about the incident or similar attacks may contact ALTA’s IT staff at [email protected].