Breach, Threat Management, Data Security

Boasts preceeded hack of Tesco Bank, report

Discussions on underground forums were boasting about how easy a target it was two months before U.K.'s Tesco Bank suffered a breach that exposed data of 9,000 accounts and the theft of £2.5 million ($3.1 million), according to Computer Business Review.

While investigating the breach, cybersecurity firm Cyberint uncovered discussions on Dark Web forums from two months previous to the incursion claiming the British retail bank – a joint venture between The Royal Bank of Scotland and U.K. supermarket chain Tesco – was a "cash milking cow" and that it was "easy to cash out." Cyberint said the discussions concerned a tool that tested thousands of login and password combinations to grant access to Tesco accounts. 

Following a suspension of all online debit transactions to prevent further criminal activity, normal service was restored on Nov. 8. The bank reimbursed all customer accounts affected and claimed that personal data was not impacted.

The bank is cooperating with authorities, including the National Crime Agency.

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