Four firms charged, fined over handling of SolarWinds hack disclosures

Imagine buying a cool gadget from a company you trust only to find out later that it was broken and the company knew about it but didn’t tell you. That’s a bit like what happened with four big tech companies recently.

Back in 2020, there was a sneak attack on software that a lot of companies used, made by SolarWinds. Hackers got in without permission and caused a big mess, stealing information and poking around where they shouldn’t have. This attack was a big deal because it meant companies using SolarWinds’ software could have their secrets stolen too.

The US government’s watchdog, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), found out that four companies didn’t tell people the whole story about the hacking mess. The companies are Avaya, Check Point Software, Mimecast, and Unisys. They kinda pretended things weren’t as bad as they were and got fined a lot of money for not sharing the full truth.

One company, Unisys, talked about their security like it was all good even though they knew hackers had stolen lots of their data. Avaya downplayed it too, saying hackers only peeked at some emails, but really, they got their hands on important files. On the other side, Check Point knew about the hacking but kept descriptions vague.

An expert named Jeff Pollard said this incident should make us think about how companies tell us when something bad happens. We should ask them how they will let us know if we’re in danger and how they’ll fix it. This is especially important if they’re a company we buy software from or do business with.

The four companies each said they’re working on doing better and that they’re focusing on keeping things more secure, but they didn’t give much detail beyond that.

So what can we learn from this? Well, when bad stuff happens, like a cyber attack, companies should be clear about it and let everyone know the truth so that we can protect ourselves.

If you’re worried about how to handle these kinds of situations, Diversified Outlook Group can help. They can help you understand the risks and what you should demand from the companies you work with when it comes to being open about cyber attacks. Reach out to them if you want to make sure your company doesn’t end up in a sticky situation like the ones these four companies did. You can connect with them at support@diversifiedoutlookgroup.com for guidance.

For more details on the story, check out the original article: www.csoonline.com/article/3578782/four-firms-charged-fined-over-handling-of-solarwinds-hack-disclosures.html.

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