The hackers seem to have obtained the credentials from “outside sources,” which could mean that Verizon’s internal systems were not targeted. The extent of the breach is unclear at this time. Visible said on Wednesday that it was aware of the issue, and is working to mitigate the incident. The company did not confirm if it employs two-factor authentication, or if certain users cannot are locked out of their accounts.
Breach Likely Caused by Usernames and Passwords Obtained from Outside
According to Visible’s initial observations, the hackers obtained the usernames and passwords from outside sources. These credentials were then used to access user accounts. This indicates that the hack was not the result of an internal systems breach. Therefore, the attack is unlike the recent Syniverse breach, where attackers had unlawful access to the company’s systems for over five years. Visible said it has “initiated a review and deployed tools to mitigate the issue,” and that it will take additional steps to protect its users. However, it did not immediately provide information on these tools. Furthermore, it is unclear if the company offers its users two-factor authentication. This provides an additional level of security when trying to access accounts.
Visible’s Recommendations to Protect Your Login Credentials
For users who use their Visible username and password across online services — especially sensitive ones such as bank accounts — Visible recommends that users update their credentials. The company added that it will never call and ask for information like passwords, secret questions, or account PINs. These days, it is impossible not to avail most services from the internet. These may include banking, streaming content, booking a cab, or even grocery shopping. However, every time we sign up to these services, we consent to giving away some personal information. For the longest time, password protection has been the strong first line of defense to secure personal data. Sadly, as we continue to sign up to an increasing number of services, it can get difficult to manage the corresponding growth in login credentials. This often leads to unsafe practices, such as using passwords that are not strong, or employing the same passwords across services. The Visible data breach is one example of why using the same password could be a bad idea. Fortunately, password managers provide a solution to this issue. They can help to create strong passwords that are also unique for every service. To learn more about password managers, including what some of our best picks for 2021 are, check out our article here.
