The Ninja Sensei’s Logbook: Patch it up or else bear the consequences!

We often overlook available security patches, assuming there’s no immediate threat. However, the reality is that these patches exist precisely because such dangers have been identified and urgently require mitigation.

This neglect proved costly for Fortytwo, whose data breach incident resulted in an S$8,000 financial penalty.

Fortytwo, an online furniture store, operates using the open-source Magento version 1.9.x.x by Adobe. Adobe issued security patches and announced it would cease support for this version by June 30, 2020, urging organisations to upgrade to version 2.0.

Despite this notice, Fortytwo failed to implement these security patches or upgrade to version 2.0. This inaction enabled a threat actor to exploit vulnerabilities present in the Magento open-source version 1.9.x.x.

The organisation did consider and evaluate the patches but ultimately decided against installing them. These patches were designed to address several high-risk issues and critical bugs, including the potential injection of malicious codes. Their failure to patch escalated the risks of a malicious code injection capable of capturing users’ personal data.

As a result, Fortytwo violated the Protection Obligation of the PDPA, leading to the financial penalty.

The key takeaway from this recent case underscores the importance of proactively installing security patches and updates. Failure to do so can lead to serious consequences, including heightened vulnerability to threats, potential data breaches, and financial penalties. Organisations must make regular system updates and maintenance a priority to ensure the security and integrity of their operations and data.

P.S. Got questions or do you need help with your cybersecurity and data protection compliance journey? Don’t hesitate to reach out to your friendly cybersecurity and data protection experts at Privacy Ninja. We are always a text/call or email away!

📱 WhatsApp: +65 8750 4250

📧 email: ninjas@privacy.com.sg

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