A hacker breached big time executives' accounts! The cybercriminal is currently selling hundreds of C-level executives' passwords for their email accounts.

A Hacker Attacks High-Level Executives From Big Companies! He Sells the Accounts From $100 to $1,500 Each
(Photo : Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
A hacker using a laptop computer at the Hacked By Def Con Press Preview during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios on April 15, 2016 in New York City.

ZDNet reported that the hacker is offering the sensitive data on a closed-access underground forum for Russian-speaking cyber attackers called 'Exploit.in."

The attacker is selling the password and email combinations for Microsoft and Office 365 accounts. He offers them for prices ranging from $100 up to $1,500, depending on how big the company is and what is the user's job role.

The hacker also claimed that these accounts belong to high-level executives from across the world.

A Hacker Attacks High-Level Executives From Big Companies! He Sells the Accounts From $100 to $1,500 Each
(Photo : Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
A man wearing sunglasses looks at his laptop inside the Rose Main Reading Room at the New York Public Library, October 5, 2016 in New York City. The Rose Main Reading Room has been closed for two years for a 12 million dollar restoration and re-opened on Wednesday to the public.

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These are the following job roles;

  • CMO - chief marketing officer
  • CFO - chief financial officer or chief financial controller
  • CEO - chief executive officer
  • CTOs - chief technology officer
  • COO - chief operating officer
  • President
  • Executive Assistant
  • Finance Manager
  • Accountant
  • Finance Director
  • Vice president
  • Accounts Payables
  • Financial Controller
  • Director

The accounts are confirmed from big time executives

A cyber-security community's source confirmed the validity of the data. The source contacted the hacker to have samples and confirmed that valid credentials for two accounts are from the CFO of an EU-based retail store chain and the CEO of a U.S. medium-sized software firm.

The anonymous source said that it is in the process of informing the two companies. It will also notify another two companies, which the cyber attacker published account passwords as public proof that the have valid data to sell.

How to protect your Microsoft account

Since the breached accounts include Microsoft accounts, here's how you can protect them. According to Support Microsoft's report, it is important to know the DOs and DONTs when creating a password. Why? Because this information serves as the key to opening your account.

A strong password is badly needed to protect your account. This is because many services currently are using your email address as verification.

If a hacker breached or acquired your Microsoft account's password, they can also hack your banking and online shopping accounts.

To help you with that, here are the DOs and DONTs you should remember;

DONTs

  • Avoid using the same password for differen accounts.
  • Never use a single word as your password.
  • Avoid using common words or phrases as your password.

DOs

  • Make new or different passwords for all your accounts.
  • Always make your password hard to guess, even for those people that are close to you.
  • Avoid using a phrase or sentence converted into a string of initials, symbols, and numbers.

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Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

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