Payment services provider <a href="http://Checkout.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Checkout.com</a> recently faced a security breach executed by the ShinyHunters cybercrime gang. The attack targeted an improperly decommissioned legacy third-party cloud storage system, which was last used in 2020. This breach involved merchant onboarding materials and internal documents but importantly did not compromise payment processing, funds, or card numbers.
Affected data involved less than 25% of their merchants, though crucially, sensitive financial information remained secure. In light of the incident, <a href="http://Checkout.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Checkout.com</a>’s CTO publicly took full responsibility and expressed sincere apologies to their customers.
Rejecting the demand from the attackers, <a href="http://Checkout.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Checkout.com</a> decided against paying the ransom. Instead, they committed to donating the equivalent amount to cybersecurity research initiatives at Carnegie Mellon University and Oxford University. This decision underscores <a href="http://Checkout.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Checkout.com</a>’s dedication to supporting advancements in cybersecurity and stands as a firm stance against cyber extortion.
This breach accentuates the substantial risks associated with legacy systems, especially when they are not properly retired. It serves as a cautionary tale of the importance of diligent decommissioning practices, echoing similar issues from past incidents like the 2021 DNA Diagnostics Center breach. Going forward, <a href="http://Checkout.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Checkout.com</a> highlights the need for improved infrastructure management to prevent similar vulnerabilities from surfacing in the future.

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Payment provider Checkout.com experienced a data breach through an improperly decommissioned legacy cloud storage system from 2020. The ShinyHunters gang accessed merchant onboarding materials affecting less than 25% of merchants, but payment data and card numbers remained secure. The company refused to pay ransom and instead donated the equivalent amount to cybersecurity research at Carnegie Mellon and Oxford. The incident highlights critical risks of inadequate legacy system decommissioning and the importance of proper infrastructure management practices.

Checkout.com Breach: CTO Takes Responsibility, Supports Cybersecurity Research