Exploit: Phishing
Electronic Warfare Associates (EWA): Defense Contractor
Risk to Business: 1.822=Severe A phishing attack that snared an employee is the suspected cause of a breach at defense contractor Electronic Warfare Associates (EWA). The company is a major provider of specialized software for the US defense establishment including the Pentagon, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). EWA’s investigation determined that an attacker broke into an EWA email account in August 2021 after a phishing operation. The intrusion was uncovered when the attacker attempted a wire transfer. Employee PII was exposed and concern remains that sensitive defense information may also have been exposed.
Individual Impact: 1.703=Severe EWA has admitted that the attackers snatched files with certain personal information including name and Social Security Number and/or drivers’ license number for an undisclosed number of EWA employees, but no further information was given.
Customers Impacted: Unknown
How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business : Phishing is an equal opportunity offender and no less likely to be successful against the presumably cybersecurity savvy employees of a tech company as any other business.
Risk Levels:
1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk
*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.
