Coinbase under attack: Are crypto investors at physical risk?
The recent data leak at Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, has raised alarms beyond the digital realm. Although the company claims that less than 1% of its monthly users were affected, the real impact could be much more severe. The reason? Highly sensitive data was exposed, including home addresses and account balances.
Michael Arrington, founder of TechCrunch, was emphatic in expressing his concern: "This hacking will lead to deaths. It probably already has." And he is not exaggerating. In May, kidnappings and extortions linked to cryptocurrency theft were reported, including the case of a French businessman whose father was kidnapped and tortured in Paris.
Although passwords and private keys were not compromised, hackers managed to infiltrate by bribing customer service contractors. This reveals a troubling vulnerability: the weakest link in security is not always the system, but the human factor.
Experts like Ronghui Gu from CertiK Web3 warn that exchanges must adopt more robust cybersecurity strategies, including multi-factor authentication, constant monitoring, and specialized training in social engineering.
The leak at Coinbase not only poses economic risks but also real physical threats to those handling large sums in crypto assets. In a world where the digital and physical increasingly intertwine, protecting personal data is a matter of life and death.
