Crypto hardware wallet owners face fresh security risks after recent spate of personal data thefts
Data breaches at shipping partners for hardware wallet manufacturers Trezor and SafePal have exposed customer personal information. While the devices remain secure, the leak increases the risk of physical 'wrench attacks' against high-net-worth crypto holders.
Why it matters
This incident highlights how supply chain vulnerabilities in the tech ecosystem can lead to real-world physical threats for digital asset owners.
Data breaches at two shipping companies has put cryptocurrency owners with physical hardware wallets at greater risk of having their funds stolen, highlighting weaknesses in the broader tech ecosystem relied on by the crypto industry.
In recent weeks, makers of hardware crypto wallets Trezor and SafePal reported that collectively thousands of their customers had their personal data and shipping information stolen during separate data breaches at their shipping partners. The crypto wallet makers provided their customers’ names, home addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers to the shipping companies for mailing out their hardware wallets.
The hacks did not affect the security of the wallets, a hardware device that stays offline that makes it far more difficult for hackers to compromise from over the internet. Instead the hackers targeted the broader supply chain of tech companies to obtain personal information about where high-net worth crypto holders live.
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