TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A Russian-speaking hacker has transacted more than half a million user login data of popular video communication company, Zoom, on the dark web, the Times reported, as quoted from Gizchina and Straitstimes on May 3, 2020.

The login data uploaded by hackers on the dark web include email address, password, links to chatrooms, and pins to hold a video conference.

The data was then bought by cyber security company Cyble from a Russian speaking user on online messaging application, Telegram, for the equivalent of two Singapore cents per login detail. The login details have also been verified by Cyble to belong to one of its clients.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has experienced a drastic increase in popularity. According to Zoom, its user base has increased from 10 million in December 2019, to 200 million by March 2020.

In spite of their rise in popularity, Zoom continues to be pestered by cyber security issues. On top of the recent Zoombombing case, the Washington Post reported the leakage of thousands of Zoom video call recordings in early April, including private and meeting conversations.

In response, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan claimed that the service was not prepared for the sharp increase in the number of users. "We acknowledged that we have not met the expectations of the public - and ourselves - regarding privacy and security," he said.

Resulting from Zoom’s cyber security issues, the company recently stated that they have increased security measures on its platform as of late, by adding a number of layers of protection that are expected to overcome interference and keep users away from security problems.

Similarly, Indonesian e-commerce startup, Tokopedia, has recently experienced a cyber security breach, resulting in the data theft of its users database. Reportedly, as many as 91 million user accounts have been transacted by hackers.

ANTARA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)