Oktapus Targets 130+ Firms

Oktapus, a hacking campaign, has more than 130 firms in its crosshairs. The threat targets more than 100 firms in the United States and victims scattered throughout 60+ other nations.

What is the Oktapus Hacking Campaign all About?

The Oktapus hackers are inflicting harm on some high-profile targets. They recently targeted businesses such as Cloudflare and Twilio in an attack. The attack is linked to an expansive phishing campaign that compromised nearly 10,000 accounts. The hacking campaign is linked to the access and identity management company known as Okta. 

What is the Purpose of the Attack?

The attack's goal was to access identity credentials related to Okta. The threat actors also obtained MFA codes, short for multi-factor authentication, from the victimized organizations. Text messages were transmitted to those users, presenting links to websites for phishing. According to digital forensics professionals who analyzed the attack, its scale is massive. 

How did the Attack Start?

Oktapus launched the campaign by focusing in on telecommunications businesses. The hope was that attacking telecom companies would pave a clear path to access phone numbers. Indeed, the digital criminals obtained an entire list of numbers used in the attacks. 

It is possible that the success of this initial attack served as the domino that toppled the rest. The hackers likely zeroed in on mobile operators and telecom businesses to start in order to gather the necessary phone numbers for subsequent attacks.

How Were the Stolen Phone Numbers Used?

The stolen phone numbers transmitted the phishing links to targets through text messages. The links steered the targets to websites that replicated the authentication page of Okta. The scam worked as the targets considered the Okta page to be authentic, yet the truth is it was nothing other than a faux page designed to deceive unsuspecting individuals for financial gain. The victims then provided their Okta login credentials, completed the multi-factor authentication process, and logged into their accounts.

Can Oktapus be Stopped?

It appears as though Oktapus is a force to be reckoned with. The underlying purpose of the hacking organization is to obtain access to the mailing lists of large organizations. Even obtaining temporary access to targets' systems that face customers sets the stage to launch supply-chain attacks. It is also worth noting that a similar attack was launched against DoorDash soon after the breach described above occurred. 

The challenge lies in stopping subsequent attacks. If you have not yet updated your antivirus protection and other digital security protocols, do so now. Take proper digital security measures today, and you'll rest easy knowing you've done your part to prevent becoming the next cybersecurity statistic.