IT Security Stories to Watch: Was TaxAct Breached?

Tax preparation software provider TaxAct recently reported cybercriminals may have stolen personal and tax-return information from some of its customers.

And as a result, TaxAct tops this week’s list of IT security newsmakers to watch, followed by Hyatt Hotels (H), Enigma Software Group and Kaspersky Lab.

What can managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers learn from these IT security newsmakers? Check out this week’s edition of IT security stories to watch to find out:

1. TaxAct notifies customers about data breach

TaxAct last week sent a “Notice of Data Breach” to roughly 450 customers. 

The Wall Street Journal reported cybercriminals may have accessed TaxAct customers’ names and Social Security numbers, and tax returns stored in their accounts may have been opened or printed.

In addition, TaxAct noted the unauthorized access took place between Nov. 10, 2015 and Dec. 4, 2015, but there was no evidence that its IT system was compromised. 

2. Hyatt finishes payment card incident investigation

Hyatt said it has discovered that cybercriminals may have gained unauthorized access to some of its customers’ payment card information. Customers at 250 Hyatt hotels across 50 countries may have been affected by a malware incident that impacted the company’s payment processing system last year, according to Hyatt. 

The hotel chain noted its investigation revealed cybercriminals used malware to collect customer payment card data such as cardholders’ names, card numbers and card expiration dates. It also said the investigation “identified signs of unauthorized access to payment card data” between Aug. 13, 2015 and Dec. 8, 2015. 

Hyatt is encouraging customers to review their payment card account statements and report any unauthorized charges to their card issuer immediately. 

3. Which U.S. city topped last year’s list of malware infections?

Little Rock, Arkansas ranked as the top city for malware infections in 2015, according to recent data from Enigma Software. 

The malware removal tool provider said Little Rock’s malware infection rate was 14 times higher than the national average.

Network World pointed out Tampa, Florida ranked second in the study, followed by St. Louis. 

4. Kaspersky Lab discovers zero-day vulnerability in Silverlight

Kaspersky Lab has identified a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Silverlight, a plug-in used to display web content. 

The IT security software provider noted the vulnerability “would allow an attacker to gain full access to a compromised computer and execute malicious code to steal secret information and perform other illegal actions.”

Also, Kaspersky Lab said a solution to the vulnerability was released as part of last week’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday update. 

What are your thoughts on this week’s IT security stories to watch? Share your thoughts about this story in the Comments section below, via Twitter @dkobialka or email me at [email protected].