A hacker stole $7.5 million from the endowment funds of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, a non-profit from Maryland in the US.
Such security incidents perfectly illustrate the dangers of working from home, as the hacker compromised the personal computer of an employee working remotely. CEO Gil Preuss made the announcement in a virtual call with employees, according to a report from The Washington Post.
While the FBI is now investigating, the agency refused to comment. The little information shared by the non-profit indicates that other funds belonging to the organization remained untouched.
The hack was only discovered on August 4 by a security contractor who noticed unusual activity in an employee’s email account. Preliminary information shows the hacker had access to the system long before stealing the money, as early as the first months of summer.
The organization has only 52 employees, and they are no longer allowed to use personal computers for work. The investigation continues as the security specialists take a closer look at systems and servers. An audit will determine if the hacker compromised or stole more than $7.5 million.
