WeTransfer Incident Shares Transferred Files with Unintended Users

WeTransfer Incident Shares Transferred Files with Unintended Users

WeTransfer files were transferred to unintended users on June 16 and 17. The scope of the incident is not clear, but the company promptly logged out affected accounts and disabled the transfer links.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • Jun 26, 2019

WeTransfer posted a security notice on June 21 informing users of a security incident they had discovered on Monday, June 17. In the incident, WeTransfer emails including file transfer links were sent to unintended e-mail addresses for two days – June 16 and 17.

After the company discovered the security incident, they logged the users out of their accounts and deactivated the links, making the files inaccessible. For some users, they reset their passwords. Then, they sent out emails to the affected users and posted the security notice on their website. WeTransfer has stated they do not know what caused the security incident.

There is a way to password-protect your transferred files on WeTransfer, ensuring that the end user is also the intended user, but it is not available on the free version of WeTransfer.

Jamie Brown, an affected user who received a notice from WeTransfer informing him that his files had been sent to unintended users, told Naked Security the files he was transferring were not overly confidential, but others may not have been so lucky.

“Thankfully we mostly use WeTransfer for sending and receiving brand photos for use on Chicmi.com – so they’re mostly heading into the public domain anyway, and the worst that might happen is an embargo being broken for an upcoming event,” Brown said. “However, I’m sure others are not so relaxed about it, bearing in mind the way the service is used.”

WeTransfer stated that they would let their users know as soon as they had an update on the cause of the situation, but that the scope of the incident will not be revealed until they have more information.

“We understand how important our users’ data is and never take their trust in our service for granted,” WeTransfer said in a statement. “We are still investigating the complete scope and cause of the incident, and will update further as soon as possible.”

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

  • Where AI Meets Human Judgment

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It is driving business growth, shaping consumer experiences, and showing up in places most of us never imagined just a few years ago. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.