Hacker Dumped MacBook in River in Attempt to Destroy Digital Evidence

Cybersecurity Incident at Coupang: Data Breach Overview

A recent investigation revealed that a former employee of South Korean e-commerce company Coupang attempted to destroy evidence related to a significant data breach. This was done by disposing of a MacBook Air into a river. However, forensic experts successfully retrieved the device and traced it back to the suspect through its serial number and associated iCloud account.

The ex-employee admitted to stealing a security key while employed at Coupang, which was used to unlawfully access customer records. Forensic analysis by Mandiant, Palo Alto Networks, and Ernst & Young determined that approximately 3,000 customer records, including order histories and building access codes, were accessed.

The data breach was conducted using personal computing devices. Although the accused surrendered a personal computer containing evidence of attack scripts, they disposed of the MacBook Air in an attempt to conceal further evidence.

Authorities recovered the MacBook Air from the river, and its serial number matched records from the accused's iCloud account, providing critical evidence linking the device to the suspect.

Coupang's internal investigation indicated that data from roughly 3,000 accounts were retained on personal devices. The perpetrator deleted this information following media coverage of the breach. Despite this, the incident impacted over 33 million customers.

In response, Coupang plans to compensate affected users with ₩50,000 ($35) vouchers, totaling an estimated cost of $1.17 billion to the company.

Furthermore, the South Korean government has initiated a formal inquiry into Coupang's security practices, with the possibility of substantial fines based on precedents with other major corporations in the region.

Based on reporting by GBHackers.