Billions of dollars, advanced technologies, strict security protocols – all of these failed to protect American military structures and defense corporations from basic cybercrime.
Research by Hudson Rock reveals that numerous employees of major military contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Honeywell, along with the US Army and Navy, have fallen victim to an infostealer. This malicious software has compromised accounts, VPN sessions, emails, and even secure procurement systems, putting confidential information in the hands of cybercriminals.
Simply downloading an infected file, disguised as a game modification, a hacked program, or a trojanized PDF document, can introduce the infostealer onto a computer. Once installed, the malware harvests a wide range of data, including passwords, browser history, and files from the infected device, which is then sold on the darknet. Shockingly, full access to a military contractor’s computer with sensitive information can be acquired for as little as $10.
These attacks have proven to be highly effective. Hudson Rock gained significant attention in 2021 after uncovering one of the largest data breaches in history – a database containing 533 million exposed Facebook accounts. This incident sparked serious conversations about data confidentiality issues on the platform and underscored the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures in today’s digital landscape.