A new report has surfaced that over 100,000 OpenAI ChatGPT credentials were found on various dark web marketplaces between June 2022 and May 2023. The cybersecurity leader, Group-IB based in Singapore, identified as many as 1,01,134 devices infected by stealers with saved ChatGPT credentials. ChatGPT Accounts Hacked!
Asia Pacific Leads the Number of Compromised Credentials
According to Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence unit, the largest number of stolen ChatGPT accounts were from Asia Pacific at 40.5% between June last year and this year. Meanwhile, Europe and Middle East & Africa stood second and third spots respectively with instances numbering at around a quarter million each.
India Tops the List
When it comes to country-wise numbers of compromised accounts then it was discovered that India had topped the list with more than twelve thousand six hundred cases followed closely by Pakistan with nine thousand two hundred seventeen while Brazil came in third place having six thousand five hundred thirty-one instances of account compromise. Bangladesh witnessed very few cases compared to other nations at only two thousand four hundred sixty-three.
The company’s threat intelligence platform found all these compromised credentials through logs containing info-stealing malware traded on dark web marketplaces over the past year or so – reaching approximately twenty-six thousand eight hundred log entries containing compromised ChatGPT accounts by May this year alone. The majority belonged to individuals located within Asia-Pacific regions according to findings obtained during research conducted for their latest report.
How Does an Info Stealer Work?
Info stealers are a type of malware that collect information saved in browsers such as browsing history cookies or bank card details along with crypto wallet data among others which they obtain from computers infected by them before sharing it back to hackers who can use such sensitive information for targeting companies or their employees.
Such malware works indiscriminately and can infect multiple computers at once through phishing or other means to collect data. They also mine for information in instant messengers, emails and other sensitive data from victim’s device. Group-IB reported that info-stealers have become a major tool used by hackers to gather personal data due to their effectiveness which is why logs containing such information are traded on dark web marketplaces along with the IP addresses of the compromised hosts.
The Importance of Security
ChatGPT is widely popular among professionals looking to enhance productivity, software development, and business communications – storing user query history and responses obtained from AI. But unauthorized access could potentially lead to confidentiality breaches where sensitive details may be leaked online jeopardizing businesses involved.
It’s essential for individuals as well as companies who use ChatGPT regularly or any similar service provider to take necessary precautions when it comes down protecting themselves against cyber threats. While there’s no way one can guarantee complete safety from malicious attacks, taking preventive measures like using strong passwords or two-factor authentication (2FA) goes a long way towards ensuring security while using these services.
In conclusion, this report highlights the importance of maintaining secure practices when utilizing chatbots like ChatGPT given how easily they can become vulnerable targets for cybercriminals seeking valuable credentials that could compromise an individual’s privacy or even entire organizations’ operations if not safeguarded properly.
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