NordVPN denies breach claims, says attackers have “dummy data”

NordVPN is pushing back hard against claims of a server breach, insisting that hackers only snagged some harmless “dummy data” from a temporary third-party testing setup, not any real sensitive info like API keys or tokens from their actual systems. Turns out, this so-called jackpot was just test artifacts from a vendor trial that Nord never even signed off on, keeping it totally isolated from their production environment—smart move to avoid real headaches. While the attacker bragged about brute-forcing a misconfigured server to grab over 10 databases, it’s all smoke and mirrors, with no customer data or live credentials compromised. This false alarm serves as a wake-up call for SMBs and MSPs: always isolate your testing environments and double-check vendor security before trials, especially after Nord’s own 2019 breach taught them to ramp up with bug bounties, third-party audits, and dedicated servers. If you’re managing your own tech stack, remember that one misstep in configuration can turn a minor test into a major PR mess, so keep those defenses tight and your data dummy-proof.

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/nordvpn-denies-breach-claims-says-attackers-have-dummy-data/