Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm owned by Google, recently completed its forensic investigation of WazirX.
WazirX’s laptops used for transaction signing were not found to have been compromised in any way by the firm. This disclosure comes when the crypto exchange was hit by a major hack in the previous month, which led to a loss of $234 million.
Forensic Analysis Clears WazirX Laptops
Mandiant performed an exhaustive assessment of the security of WazirX’s systems. The firm concentrated on three laptops used by the exchange to effect transactions. Surprisingly, all these devices did not display any compromise or external interference, even with the consequences of the breach.
This has put the spotlight back on Liminal, which is the provider of WazirX’s multi-party computation wallet. Initial information points towards the possibility that the breach may have come from Liminal rather than WazirX.
Exchange and Security Provider Dispute
After the breach, WazirX and Liminal have publicly accused each other of being the source of the security issue. WazirX states that its systems are secure, and therefore, the issue concerns Liminal’s security. But Liminal has defended itself from such claims, stressing the functionality of their systems.
The conflict continues as both sides engage with the regulators and other interested parties to mitigate the consequences of the incident. WazirX has also done the same by transferring assets to new multi-signature wallets to increase security and regain users’ trust.
As a result of the recent hack, WazirX has decided to go for a maintenance shutdown. The temporary suspension was to correct the account balances and counter the fraudulent transactions during the ordeal.
WazirX was quick to notice the breach and stopped all the withdrawals to avoid more losses. The exchange then opened an internal probe to establish the cause of the breach. In response, WazirX has strengthened its security and moved its assets to new multi-signature wallets.
These measures are aimed at enhancing the security of the platform and ensuring that similar cases are not repeated in the future. WazirX has been quite responsive and open with users regarding the actions being taken to recover the hacked account balances.
Market and User Response
The crypto community and WazirX users have closely monitored the exchange’s incident handling. While the situation has been challenging, the community acknowledges the prompt and clear communication from WazirX. The upcoming maintenance is expected to further stabilize the platform and bolster user confidence in the exchange’s resilience against future threats.
This proactive approach by WazirX aims to address security concerns and ensure a safer trading environment for its users. As the crypto industry continues to face security challenges, the response of exchanges like WazirX will likely set precedents for handling such crises effectively.