Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecurityManagementSecurity NewswireTechnologies & SolutionsCybersecurity News

Thousands of Canadian Government accounts hacked

cyber 4 responsive default
August 18, 2020

Thousands of user accounts for online government services in Canada were recently hacked during cyberattacks, Canadian authorities have announced.

According to a statement, "The Government of Canada is taking action in response to “credential stuffing” attacks mounted on the GCKey service and CRA accounts. These attacks, which used passwords and usernames collected from previous hacks of accounts worldwide, took advantage of the fact that many people reuse passwords and usernames across multiple accounts."

Fausto Oliveira, Principal Security Architect at Acceptto, notes that, “Credential stuffing is a pervasive security issue caused by the complexity of today's authentication mechanisms that still rely on a password. Users today have access to hundreds, if not thousands, of services each requiring a password and as such credential re-use if often common.  Once a hacker has gained access to one of the services they can try to attack other services by re-using the password and gain access to further information for example by hacking the user's email, internet provider accounts, etc."

Oliveira adds, "The good news is that these are preventable types of attack. Organizations need to offer Multi-Factor Authentication, combined with Continuous Behavioral Authentication. We’ve been educating the market about this for quite some time, but unfortunately, the lesson still hasn't permeated. Without proper protection, your organization is at risk and so are your customers. The only ones that benefit from inaction are the criminals.”

The Government of Canada, like every other government and private sector organization in the world, deals with ongoing and persistent cyber risks and threats, says the statement, which is "why the government has robust systems and tools in place to monitor, detect and investigate potential threats, and neutralize them as quickly as possible."

Joseph Carson, Advisory CISO at Thycotic, says, "An important lesson that must be learned is that we should never reuse passwords.  Companies who offer authentication and login to their website must also move away from having a password as the only security control. 2FA must be enabled for all customers as this reduces the risks of customers who reuse passwords from become a victim of a cybercrime or credential stuffing from being successful.  Additionally, endorse Password Managers to help customers make better password hygiene and decisions when creating new accounts and passwords."

According to Tim Wade, Technical Director, CTO Team at Vectra, as an entry point, stolen credentials offer the most effective path for both post exploitation lateral movement or attacking non-MFA protected cloud services.  "As a result of a breach, credentials may be harvested as part of a breach and subsequently monetized," says Wade."The risks around credential theft are compounded by the relatively common practice of credential reuse, where a breach in one platform may affect another unrelated platform due to users reusing their credentials.”

 

KEYWORDS: cyber security hackers information security risk management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Logical Security
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity Education & Training
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • social media

    Facebook Suspends Thousands of Accounts Due to Data Concerns

    See More
  • New Newswire Feature Image 3/8/2012

    Thousands Rally to Protest Canadian Anti-Terror Bill

    See More
  • Nearly Two-Thirds of U.S. Adults' Social Media Accounts Have Been Hacked

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Security of Information and Communication Networks

  • 9780367259044.jpg

    Understanding Homeland Security: Foundations of Security Policy

  • 9780367221942.jpg

    From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things: Technology and Applications

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing