The Panama Papers breach is the biggest high-profile information leak of the history ever. The corporate service providing firm, Mossack Fonseca has faced this controversy recently when all the secured information from their database, of their high-profile clients, was leaked to journalists.The Panama Papers breach, due to an outdated WordPress site, marks the largest leak in history. Secure WordPress and Drupal versions now.
WHAT IS THE PANAMA PAPERS?
The Panama Papers comprise a leaked set of 11.5 million highly confidential documents containing detailed information about 214,000 offshore companies listed by corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, headquartered in Panama.These documents also enlist the identities of directors and shareholders of the company. These documents also show how wealthy individuals including government leaders and public officials hid and manage their wealth and assets from public scrutiny.
Apparently it is one of the biggest leak of documents ever. As reported by Forbes, the documents are as big as it takes 2.6 terabytes of space in computer storage. The data was provided to a renowned German-newspaper ‘Suddeutsche Zeitung’ by anonymous source.Journalists investigating uncovered that they extracted data, including photos, emails, and documents, from Mossack Fonseca’s internal database. Investigators found that some shell companies, uncovered during the investigation, were allegedly involved in illegal activities like drug trafficking, fraud, and tax evasion.
First leak we heard was Wiki leak.
Another big leak was information shared by Edward Snowden.
Now, the Panama paper breaching, is the biggest leak in the history.
On this leak, some cyber security firms are blaming the outdated WordPress website of the firm Mossack Fonseca. With no doubt, WordPress is the best platform available for small to medium business websites. Yes, WordPress is the best for constructing business websites, but understanding the importance of maintaining the website with regular plugin updates is crucial.
So are you and your WordPress website is also at the risk of data breach?
No, not every website is at risk unless you guard your websites by updating it regularly with available secure functionalities.
HOW THIS MASSIVE LEAK HAPPENED?
According to WordFence analysis, attackers exploited weak features in Mossack Fonseca’s outdated WordPress website to acquire most documents and data. Their site had a plugin called Revolution Slider, a popular and powerful design tool for WordPress.But this functionality also added some vulnerability to the site. Regrettably, the website did not receive the released plugin update, which was a later version. This allowed hackers to exploit this old plugin and once the hackers are in it is impossible to save anything.
WordFence reported that Mossack Fonseca’s customer portal, containing vast amounts of leaked data, was still running on a severely outdated Drupal version.
This version had at least 25 vulnerabilities.
Every plugin comes with vulnerability.Developers release regular software updates for plugins to address vulnerabilities. No plugin is perfect initially; updates mitigate website vulnerability risks. Developers release regular updates to eliminate website vulnerability risks.
HOW SHOULD I SAVE MY WORDPRESS WEBSITE FROM HACKING?
Cyber criminals are omnipresent and keep looking for opportunities to hack the websites. After website creation, regular attention and updates, including plugins, are essential for maintenance.
Thus developers also need to respond fast as criminals and hackers move quickly. It’s our responsibility to maintain our website. When a developer releases an update with security features, it signifies identifying a breach. Regular website updates are crucial to prevent future data breaches.
Krify suggests that reconstructing/redesigning the website or maintaining the website with regular updates is essential for data security.
Conclusion:
Krify is a multinational mobile app, website and wearable app development company. We focus on delivering robust and secure mobile app and website development solutions. We are a leading mobile and web app developers and also serves to the clients with website redesigning and maintenance services. Contact us now for secure software and IT solutions for your business.
