Atlas Quantum atlasquantum.com Atlas Quantum data breach: what happened and what to do
Cryptocurrency investment platform Atlas Quantum was breached in August 2018. Have I Been Pwned lists 261,463 accounts with names, email addresses, phone numbers and account balances.
View all 13,115 breaches- Breach date
- 25 Aug 2018
- Affected
- 261,463
- Data exposed
- Account balances, Email addresses, Names, Phone numbers
- Verified
- Yes
- Last updated
Source: Have I Been Pwned (CC BY 4.0)
What happened
Atlas Quantum is a cryptocurrency investment platform. In August 2018 it suffered a data breach. The company said it became aware of the incident on August 25, and Have I Been Pwned added the data two days later.
Have I Been Pwned lists 261,463 accounts. The data includes names, phone numbers, email addresses and account balances. Some press reports gave slightly different counts, so this page uses HIBP's figure.
What the company said
Atlas Quantum said the attackers did not steal bitcoins held in custody or break into exchange accounts, and Avast also reported that no funds were taken. The company's disclosure gave few details about how the breach happened, and no source named the attacker.
What it means for you
Account balances are the sensitive part. Someone who knows your name, phone number and roughly how much crypto you hold has what they need to impersonate support staff or an exchange. Crypto-themed phishing and phone scams are common, and they work best when the caller quotes real figures.
Because the data contains phone numbers, watch for texts and calls. Scammers may also try a SIM swap, where they convince your mobile carrier to move your number to their SIM so they can receive your login codes.
No password data is listed for this breach, so changing a password isn't the first step here. Tightening up your phone number and any crypto accounts is.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Treat crypto 'support' calls and texts as scams
Real platforms won't ask for your seed phrase, password or login codes. If someone quotes your balance and asks for any of these, hang up and contact the platform through its official site.
- 2
Protect your phone number from SIM swaps
Ask your carrier to add a PIN or passcode to your account. Use an authenticator app instead of SMS codes wherever you can.
- 3
Turn on two-factor authentication
Add 2FA to your email, banking and shopping accounts first. If an old password is still in circulation, a second step stops most takeover attempts.
- 4
Check your exchange accounts
Review recent activity and withdrawal addresses on any crypto account tied to the email you used on Atlas Quantum.
- 5
Check whether your email is in this and other breaches
Run a free Serus scan. It checks your email and phone number against breach databases and the dark web, and Serus alerts you if they show up in a new one.
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Atlas Quantum breach?
Have I Been Pwned lists 261,463 accounts. Search your email on its site, or run a free Serus scan.
What was exposed in the Atlas Quantum breach?
HIBP lists names, email addresses, phone numbers and account balances.
Did people lose their crypto?
The company said bitcoins held in custody weren't stolen and exchange accounts weren't broken into. Avast also reported no funds were taken.
Should I change my password?
No passwords are listed in this breach, but it doesn't hurt to use a unique password and 2FA on your crypto accounts.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
