Hackers attack Guardian website



Personal details of half a million users at risk

By Janine Milne - Computer Business Review

Personal details of around half a million users of Guardian’s UK jobs websites may have been compromised in a hacking attack this weekend.



The Guardian claimed that a "sophisticated and deliberate hack" was halted in mid hack and the site was secure, but advised users to contact their credit reference agency and UK prevention service Cifas to ensure their personal information had not been breached.



Patrik Runald, senior manager of Websense's security labs, advised users to be extra vigilant over the next few weeks: "What we’ve seen happen before, in similar breaches, is that the individuals who had their data stolen have become targets of highly targeted attacks. With the bad guys having access to personal information about the target, it’s makes it possible to create a very attractive and believable email that will have a high likelihood to trick the recipient into click on a link/run the attachment," said Runald.