“Network Gu”: Protect your data
Kurt Knutsson joins “Fox & Friends” to discuss how your smart home camera monitors you and how to combat phone addiction.
There is no industry that is immune to data breaches. In the past few months alone, we have seen security incidents hit nearly every sector, including healthcare, finance and technology. Now, the shipping industry has joined the charts, with major global shippers working with Amazon, eBay and Shopify revealing 14 million records.
Worse, during the peak of international transportation, public instances were found in December when people dispatched and received gifts around the world. The researchers traced it back to an unprotected AWS bucket owned by Hipshipper.
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There are tags on Amazon boxes. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
What you need to know
Hipshipper is a shipping platform used by sellers on eBay, Shopify and Amazon, accidentally exposed millions of shipping costs and carried personal customer information. The researchers are Online News The exposed data was found in December 2024, but it was not resolved until January, which means it was open for at least a month. Hipshipper helps people ship packages to over 150 countries, providing tracking, free insurance and simple returns. Nude shipping labels are important because they detail what is in the package and where you should go.
However, an unprotected AWS bucket has more than 14.3 million records, mainly shipping tags and customs forms. “Cybercriminals can use leaked data to perform scams and phishing attacks. For example, criminals may pretend to be trustworthy businesses and use specific order details to send fake messages to Deceiving people to share personal or financial information.”
Staff at transport facilities. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
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What data has been leaked?
The researchers believe that the exposed bucket contains sensitive information about the buyer, including its full name, home address, phone number and order details, such as mailing date and parcel information. While there is no direct evidence that cybercriminals have access to exposed data, millions of malicious participants use automated bots to search the Internet for similar leaks, hoping to find data that can be used for harmful purposes.
These criminals can use leaked information to initiate scam and Phishing Attacks. For example, they might pretend to be a trustworthy company and send fake messages that use specific order details to force people to urgently verify personal or financial information. Unfortunately, retail companies are the main target of hackers, relying on large, well-known companies do not always protect your information. Recent violations involving companies grubhub,,,,, Mitsu and Hot topic It shows that even daimyo retailers can suffer a lot of security mistakes.
Illustration of hacker at work. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
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7 ways you can protect yourself after such a data breach
1) Beware of phishing and use powerful antivirus software: After data breaches, scammers often use stolen data to create compelling phishing information. These can be arrived via email, text message or phone call, pretending to be from a trusted company. Even if they refer to recent orders or transactions, be cautious about unsolicited messages. The best way to protect yourself from malicious links is to install antivirus software on all devices. This protection can also remind you about phishing email and ransomware scams, ensuring your personal information and digital assets are secure. The choice of the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
2) Beware of snail emails: Although many security threats occur online, physical mail can also be targeted. With home addresses exposed in data breaches, criminals may send fraud letters or fake invoices to trick you into providing more personal information or payments. If you receive suspicious emails, avoid replying and report to the company they claim to be from.
3) Investment Identity Theft Protection: Taking into account the exposure of personal data, such as name, address and order details, investing in identity theft protection services can provide additional security. These services monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for any signs of fraudulent activity, allowing you to alert you about potential identity theft as early as possible. They can also help you freeze your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. Check out my tips and best options to protect yourself from identity theft.
4) Enable two-factor authentication on your account: Enable Two factors verify Added extra security to your online account. Even if the hacker has mastered your login credentials, they cannot access your account without a second verification step, such as the code sent to your phone or email. This simple step can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive personal information.
5) Regularly monitor your credit report: You can request a free credit report from the primary credit bureau to check for any suspicious activity or unauthorized accounts opened in your name.
6) Update password: Change the password for any account that may be affected by the vulnerability and use a unique strong password for each account. Consider using Password Manager. This can help you generate and store powerful unique passwords for all your accounts.
7) Delete your personal data from a public database: If your personal data is exposed in this breach, it is crucial to act quickly by deleting your personal information from the network to reduce the risk of identity theft and scams. View my preferred data deletion service here.
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Kurt’s key points
Now is the time for every industry to take cybersecurity seriously. If your business is operating online, then your responsibility for protecting customer data may also be like a technology company, which often has stronger safeguards. The fact that Hipshipper left a storage bucket with 14 million records demonstrates their priority cybersecurity. It’s not just hip-hop people. Many companies that deal with technology products are not even enough to password protect their critical documents. The lack of basic security highlights worrying trends across the industry.
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