In this weekly update, we will reveal details regarding three incidents that occurred in the UAE. The threat actor hit the jackpot three times in a row. Coca-Cola Middle East and two other companies from the Emirates fell victim to these criminals in the past week.

The first name on the list is Coca-Cola. There are several signs that the Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages Company may be a victim of a data breach. According to preliminary reports, criminals gained access to the personal data of 959 employees, most of whom were from Bahrain and the UAE. The leaked data appears to come from the company's Human Resources (HR) database. Stolen files indicate that personally identifiable information was exposed, including:

• Visa and passport scan, residency permits;
• Salary data;
• Full names, addresses, family and marriage certificates;
• Information about internal structure and employees’ roles;
• And other sensitive records;

The criminals posted a 502 MB data dump to prove their claims on a darknet forum. Thus, there is substantial proof for the claims of data breach. Extracted data could be used in further attacks, such as:

• Spear-fishing,
• Identity theft,
• Social engineering attacks,
• And various scams and frauds.

There has been no official statement from Coca-Cola regarding this matter.

In summary, this incident serves as a reminder that even major international corporations are not immune to cyberattacks. Overall, data breaches can lead to significant financial expenses for investigations, mitigation of their consequences, legal action, and compensation.

But the same threat actor has made extra claims. Allegedly, criminals have breached Khidmah, a real estate service company based in Abu Dhabi, Emirate. The scope of the incident is yet to be determined, but a malicious actor supposedly compromised 3,300 sensitive records. Additionally, rumors continue to circulate regarding a leak from the company's databases. The exposed data includes:

• Names, contact email addresses;
• User and employee ID numbers;
• Department, division, and other internal information.

Furthermore, the threat actor has also made claims about a third incident involving a UAE-based organization. According to unverified reports, the latest victim is the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. This government entity manages tourism strategies, supports the creative industries, and protects cultural heritage. It is still unclear whether these claims are accurate. If true, the exposed data would include business and personal information, such as:

• Names and birth dates,
• Identification and passport numbers.
• Email addresses,
• Personal health information.

These incidents were all claimed by one group of criminals in the last seven days. At the moment, there is evidence for only one of these events.

Anyway, news on the alleged data incidents once again emphasizes that information security is essential for modern businesses. Companies process and store large amounts of sensitive data, and data-related incidents can lead to significant financial losses and damage a company's reputation. It's better to proactively build a strong security system than to deal with the aftermath of a data breach.

Information security is a challenging task, and for companies that cannot guarantee security on their own, there is now a specialized service available to address these issues.

SearchInform Managed Security Service (MSS) is a two-in-one solution. Firstly, it’s a go-to answer for companies that are only starting to implement information security measures. MSS unites the expertise of seasoned IS experts and a comprehensive package of self-developed protective solutions. It helps to cut down expenditures on information security, achieve high level of data protection, provides a technological stack adapted to regional demands, and contributes to the task of your business development.

Start your free 30-day trial today!