Threat Intelligence Lab

Hack and Leak Crime

Hack and Leak Crime

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Written by

Reza Rafati
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ThreatIntelligenceLab.com

Hack and leak crimes are on the rise, and from what I’ve seen in cybersecurity, they can devastate businesses, individuals, and governments. These attacks are as simple as they are dangerous.

A hacker breaches a system, steals sensitive data, and releases it publicly, often causing long-lasting damage. The impact can ruin reputations, cripple organizations, and put personal safety at risk. It’s a cybercrime that no one can afford to ignore.

Let’s get into the details of hack and leak operations, how they work, and how we can protect ourselves.

What is a Hack and Leak Crime?

A hack and leak crime is a cyberattack where hackers breach a network to steal sensitive data and then publicly release it to cause harm.

First, hackers break into a computer network, usually by exploiting security flaws or using phishing techniques. Once inside, they steal sensitive data like internal emails, financial records, or personal information. In the second phase, they publicly leak this information, either for financial gain, political reasons, or to damage the victim’s reputation.

These crimes target businesses, governments, and high-profile individuals.

Think of it this way: it’s not just the data breach that hurts, but the public exposure that follows. Imagine your company’s confidential emails or trade secrets being plastered all over the internet. That’s the essence of a hack and leak crime — deep, lasting damage.

The Danger that comes with it

Hack and leak operations are particularly harmful because they combine the worst aspects of cybercrime — data theft and public exposure.

Once the information is out there, you can’t take it back. It’s permanent. That’s what makes these attacks so destructive.

They create a ripple effect of damage that can go on for years.

One of the most famous examples is the 2016 attack on the Democratic National Committee (DNC)1. Hackers stole thousands of emails and released them right before a major election. The timing and content had a huge impact, affecting both public perception and the election’s outcome.

Recent Hack and Leak Incidents from 2023 and 2024

Hack and leak attacks are continuing to evolve, and the last two years have seen several major incidents that illustrate the growing threat.

  1. MOVEit Data Breach (2023): This was one of the largest breaches of the year, where a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer software allowed the Clop ransomware group to steal data from over 2,000 organizations. The breach affected 60 million individuals globally, with an estimated cost nearing $10 billion. The attackers threatened to leak stolen data unless the victims paid up.
  2. Bank of America Breach (2023): In 2023, hackers exploited a third-party service used by Bank of America, resulting in the exposure of sensitive data2, including social security numbers and account details of 57,000 customers. The breach was revealed in early 2024, showing the deep risks posed by supply chain vulnerabilities.
  3. MGM Resorts and Caesars (2023): MGM Resorts International suffered a severe ransomware attack in 2023, which impacted their casino operations, shutting down ATMs and other systems3. Caesars Entertainment was also targeted, reportedly paying a ransom to prevent customer data from being leaked.
  4. Trello Data Breach (2024): In early 2024, a breach on the project management platform Trello compromised the data of 15 million users4. Hackers took advantage of an API flaw to collect user information, which they later sold on the dark web. This event highlighted the importance of securing popular cloud-based tools.
  5. Mother of All Breaches (MOAB) (2024): This massive data dump exposed5 12 terabytes of information, including 26 billion records from platforms like LinkedIn and Dropbox. MOAB wasn’t a single breach but a compilation of multiple data leaks, making it one of the largest exposures ever recorded.

How Hack and Leak Crimes Are Carried Out

Hackers don’t just dive into systems blindly. These attacks are planned carefully and executed in stages:

  1. Selecting the Target: The hacker identifies a valuable target, often based on the potential impact of the leak. High-profile organizations, governments, and political figures are common choices.
  2. Reconnaissance: Before attacking, the hacker gathers intelligence about the target’s security weaknesses. They look for open doors, like outdated software or weak passwords.
  3. Initial Breach: Once they find a vulnerability, they break into the network. The goal is to access and escalate privileges to get to the most sensitive data.
  4. Data Exfiltration: After gaining access, the hacker begins copying data, usually without the target’s knowledge. This can include anything from private communications to financial records.
  5. Leak: Finally, the stolen data is leaked. Sometimes it’s posted on dark web forums, or it might be sent to journalists and media outlets to cause maximum public damage.

Each stage is critical, and once a hacker gets past the initial breach, they have a wide range of options to exploit the target.

The motivations behind it

The motivations behind hack and leak crimes can vary, but most attackers fall into one of these categories:

  • Financial Gain: Hackers might sell the stolen data or use it to extort money from the victim, threatening to leak more unless they’re paid off.
  • Political Impact: Some hackers are motivated by political goals, releasing information to sway elections or damage political figures. The DNC hack is a prime example of how these tactics can influence public opinion.
  • Corporate Espionage: Rival companies might use hackers to steal trade secrets or intellectual property and then leak it to damage their competition or gain a market advantage.
  • Hacktivism: Groups like Anonymous use hack and leak strategies to protest against governments or corporations they see as corrupt or unethical. For them, leaking information is a form of activism.

Hack and leak crimes aren’t just about technical security—they’re about real-world consequences. The information that gets leaked can destroy reputations, cause legal trouble, and lead to financial ruin. Businesses can lose customers, political campaigns can collapse, and individuals can face public shame.

  1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-the-russians-hacked-the-dnc-and-passed-its-emails-to-wikileaks/2018/07/13/af19a828-86c3-11e8-8553-a3ce89036c78_story.html ↩︎
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/02/13/bank-of-america-warns-customers-of-data-breach-following-2023-hack/ ↩︎
  3. https://adlumin.com/post/a-threat-actors-playbook-2023-cyberattacks-on-caesars-entertainment-and-mgm-casinos/ ↩︎
  4. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/email-addresses-of-15-million-trello-users-leaked-on-hacking-forum/ ↩︎
  5. https://spycloud.com/blog/moab-data-leak-what-we-know/ ↩︎

Written by

Reza Rafati
Reza Rafati is an experienced cyber security professional. He is the founder of Threat Intelligence Lab. He has extensive experience in the field of cyber threat intelligence, cyber takedowns, and cyber threat landscapes.