“Okta’s October Support System Hack: 134 Customers’ Data Exposed”
Okta’s October Support System Hack: 134 Customers’ Data Exposed In a recent development that could be straight out of a suspense thriller, Okta revealed that a group of hackers had a rather unwelcome party at their customer support system.
The not-so-graceful gate-crashers managed to sneak in from September 28, 2023, to October 17, 2023. Yes, it’s not a typo, they stayed for almost three weeks, and they weren’t there for a friendly chat.
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The 134-Customer Heist Okta
So, what’s the big fuss? Well, the hackers, or “threat actors,” as they are called in the tech world, managed to break into the files of 134 Okta customers. That might sound like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s less than 1% of Okta’s customer base. Phew, not everyone’s invited to this not-so-exclusive club.
HAR Files and Session Tokens: The Techy Stuff Okta
Now, the intruders weren’t just there to have a peek; they came with a plan. Among the files they rummaged through were something called “HAR files.” Sounds cryptic, right? These files were loaded with session tokens, which, in plain English, are like keys to your online sessions. Imagine if someone borrowed your car keys and took your ride for a spin without asking. Not cool, right?
Okta Session Hijacking: The Uninvited Guests Strike
Using these session tokens, the hackers managed to pull off a move known as “session hijacking.” It’s like they found a backdoor into someone’s house and decided to have a housewarming party while the homeowners were away.
Three’s a Crowd Okta
Now, the fun part – they didn’t just enjoy the party themselves. They decided to drag three lucky customers into their little escapade. These three brave souls, 1Password, BeyondTrust, and Cloudflare, were the first to come forward and say, “Hey, someone’s been messing with our online stuff!”
Okta’s “Fashionably Late” Response
You’d think that after spotting these uninvited guests trying to sneak in on September 29, Okta would’ve called the security bouncers right away. Nope, they took their sweet time. It took them more than two weeks to officially confirm the breach. Maybe they were negotiating with the hackers for party favors, who knows?
The Not-So-Secret Entrance Okta
How did these uninvited guests get in? They used credentials stolen from a support service account. And guess where they found these? An employee’s personal Google account.
It’s like finding a spare key under the doormat – not the best idea, right? The most likely scenario, according to Okta, was that the employee’s personal Google account or device got compromised. So, it’s not really their fault; it’s more like leaving your front door unlocked.
Okta’s Party Cleanup
After realizing the mess, Okta decided to clean up their act. They disabled the compromised service account, stopped people from using personal Google profiles on Okta-managed devices, added more detective gadgets, and tied Okta administrator session tokens to specific locations. So, no more sneaking in unnoticed!
The Apology Okta
Okta isn’t the kind of host to just sweep things under the rug. They sent out apologies to all their customers and assured everyone that they’ve taken steps to protect the future parties.
Not the First Time, Okta!
This isn’t the first time Okta has had unwelcome guests. They’ve had a couple of breaches in the past, thanks to hackers with a flair for stealing credentials and using clever tricks. It’s almost like a recurring theme for Okta.
So, there you have it – the story of Okta’s not-so-exclusive support system party. Let’s hope the hackers don’t return, and Okta learns to lock their digital doors more securely. Party crashers, beware!
