Namecheap Announces Data Breach That Caused Waves of Phishing Emails

Namecheap is an international domain hosting and IT services company. For those unfamiliar with the term, domain hosting is self-explanatory; a domain hosting service refers to a service or company that hosts your website domain. These services are highly sought after, and Namecheap offers them in bulk, allowing them to have cheaper prices than most of their competition. As a result, millions of people and companies use the service. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

The attack occurred on February 12, 2023, when an unauthorized party accessed the Namecheap email. The party immediately began to send out emails to the company's clients, resulting in a massive wave of phishing emails. Over 10 million people and companies use the service, not all of whom are well-versed in cybersecurity. There will likely be thousands, if not millions, of people scammed and phished because of this breach, which can ruin many lives.

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

At the time of writing, the hacker seems only to have accessed the company email and the list of people on its mailing list. Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall tweeted that the breach may have had something to do with the recent MailChimp breach. Companies like Figma and Buffer use Namecheap for their domain hosting, meaning that their mailing lists may have been compromised, not to mention the other millions of companies and individuals using the service.

How Did Namecheap Admit to the Breach?

Namecheap admitted to the breach through its CEO's Twitter account, as mentioned above. The tweet linked to CyberNews, which broke the story. BleepingComputer also wrote about the story: "The phishing campaigns started around 4:30 PM ET and originated from SendGrid, an email platform used historically by Namecheap to send renewal notices and marketing emails."

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

That's the thing; everything the hacker can do with the information has already begun. Unfortunately, if the hacker accesses more information through their phishing scams, millions of people will be put in further peril. People were beginning to flip out on social media hours after the breach. Admittedly, it was an opportune time to launch an attack, as tens of millions of people were watching the Super Bowl when the hacker launched the attacks, so very few would have been paying close attention to the message within the email.

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

The first thing to do is stay on guard. At this point in time, it is unclear how many customer emails were on the list, which puts many people at high risk for phishing attempts. If you receive any suspicious emails, close them and call Namecheap directly. With how many people will be calling for information on the breach, there may be a bit of a wait. However, you want to know whether or not the email you received was legitimate or a phishing attempt. Right now, the campaigns are disguised as notices of wallet suspension, so if you receive an email like that, be especially careful. Remember to stay as safe as possible.