Cryptocurrency wallet emptied in major breach
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The buzz around cryptocurrencies took a dark turn late Wednesday as talk shifted from record-breaking values to a multi-million-dollar theft.
Crypto mining platform NiceHash was targeted by cyber-criminals who emptied the contents of its bitcoin wallet, estimated to be around 4,700 coins, totalling around U$68 billion.
The platform’s website has been shutdown except for a statement which says:
“Unfortunately, there has been a security breach involving NiceHash website. We are currently investigating the nature of the incident and, as a result, we are stopping all operations for the next 24 hours. Importantly, our payment system was compromised and the contents of the NiceHash Bitcoin wallet have been stolen. We are working to verify the precise number of BTC taken.”
NiceHash says that it is not yet certain exactly what has happened or the scope of the attack. It’s recommending that users change their passwords as a precaution and says it will return as soon as possible with the highest security measures.
Earlier this year, $30 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from an Ethereum based service Parity which was also suffered a ‘freezing’ of $150 million last month due to a vulnerability in its wallet.
This latest incident has sent shockwaves through the many investors who have been tempted to move funds into cryptos – despite concerns expressed by central banks and wealth managers.
Crypto mining platform NiceHash was targeted by cyber-criminals who emptied the contents of its bitcoin wallet, estimated to be around 4,700 coins, totalling around U$68 billion.
The platform’s website has been shutdown except for a statement which says:
“Unfortunately, there has been a security breach involving NiceHash website. We are currently investigating the nature of the incident and, as a result, we are stopping all operations for the next 24 hours. Importantly, our payment system was compromised and the contents of the NiceHash Bitcoin wallet have been stolen. We are working to verify the precise number of BTC taken.”
NiceHash says that it is not yet certain exactly what has happened or the scope of the attack. It’s recommending that users change their passwords as a precaution and says it will return as soon as possible with the highest security measures.
Earlier this year, $30 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from an Ethereum based service Parity which was also suffered a ‘freezing’ of $150 million last month due to a vulnerability in its wallet.
This latest incident has sent shockwaves through the many investors who have been tempted to move funds into cryptos – despite concerns expressed by central banks and wealth managers.
