Cybersecurity experts have uncovered a massive data breach of GunAuction.com, a website used by over 550,000 users to buy and sell guns. According to a statement from the site's CEO, Manny DelaCruz, the breach exposed users' full names, home addresses, email addresses, plaintext passwords, and telephone numbers. Additionally, the data could potentially link specific individuals to the sale or purchase of a particular weapon.
DelaCruz stated that the company is working with the FBI to investigate the breach and that the company has "no reason to believe that any financial information was accessed." He further advised customers to remain vigilant and monitor their financial accounts and credit reports for any suspicious activity.
This is not the first time that the personal data of gun owners has been put at risk. Last year, California’s Department of Justice mistakenly leaked gun owners’ names, birthdays, addresses, ages, the purchase date and type of firearm permit they possessed, and their Criminal Identification Index numbers. Cybersecurity experts are urging users to remain alert and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their data.
How to Protect Your Website from Cybercriminals
Chris Close, an expert in cybersecurity from Cyber Sleuth Security’s Washington, DC office, was recently interviewed on the topic of website protection from cybercriminals. When asked about the best ways to protect a website, Close had this to say:
“The first step in protecting your website from cybercriminals is to ensure that you have strong passwords and authentication measures in place. Additionally, it’s important to keep your software up-to-date and patch any vulnerabilities as soon as they are identified. It’s also a good idea to use a web application firewall to help detect and block malicious traffic.”
When asked about the most important security measure to take, Close responded:
“The most important security measure to take is to ensure that your website is regularly backed up. This way, if you are ever the victim of a cyber-attack, you can easily restore your website and minimize the impact of the attack.”
Finally, Close was asked what advice he would give to someone who is just starting to build their website:
“My advice would be to start by focusing on the basics of security. Make sure your passwords are strong and regularly changed, use two-factor authentication, and ensure all software is up-to-date. Once you have the basics covered, you can look into more advanced security measures such as web application firewalls and regular backups.”