Several cryptocurrency firms have recently been targeted in cyberattacks due to a mistake made by an employee of GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar.

GoDaddy released a statement that on June 20th, an employee responsible for transferring a domain accidentally sent private information such as cryptocurrency wallet passwords and other data to the attackers. This allowed them to steal funds from the digital wallets of the cryptocurrency companies.

Companies Affected by Attack

The companies affected by the attack include:

  • Cryptocom, a global digital asset management platform
  • Parity Technologies, a software development firm
  • Gnosis, an Ethereum-based platform
  • Poloniex, a crypto-asset exchange company

GoDaddy’s Statement

In its statement GoDaddy said: “On June 20th, GoDaddy was alerted by a customer that an individual emailed this customer claiming to have unauthorized access to their domain name account and requesting a ransom to be paid in cryptocurrency. GoDaddy quickly investigated the matter and determined that an employee had inadvertently sent the customer’s credentials to an unauthorized third-party in response to a phishing email.

We have since taken steps to mitigate against any further account hijackings and provided our customers with best practices for protecting their domains.”

Takeaways

The cyberattack on cryptocurrency firms is a reminder that organizations have to be extra vigilant when it comes to protecting their digital assets. Companies should ensure that staff members are trained to recognize and respond to phishing emails and other malicious attacks. Companies should also ensure that their networks are secure, and that passwords are changed on a regular basis.