Large Hacking Instance Detected (MRK, CAH)
February 18, 2010 11:36 AM
A report in the Wall Street Journal states that European and Chinese hackers were successful in hacking into computers in more than 2,500 establishments as well as government agencies. These were spread over the last 18 months, and compromised the security of personal and corporate entities.
The extent of the breach and the level of damage is still being assessed, but investigations reveal that hackers were able to break into sensitive data ranging from intellectual property to credit card transactions. The number of companies which had data that was accessed by these hackers has been estimated to be 2,411. Companies like Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) and Cardinal Health Inc.(NYSE: CAH) said that they were able to isolate and tackle the problem.
The hackers also broke into computers in at least 10 US government agencies. In one of the cases, the hackers got hold of a soldier’s military account user name and password.
