Hackers appear to have made off with the equivalent of $2 million in digital currencies from Gatecoin, according to a notice posted on the exchange’s website. The Hong Kong-based firm admitted asecurity breach occurred between May 9 and 12 that allowed unauthorized access to its “hot wallets” holding both Bitcoins and Ethere (a Bitcoin rival). In total, the hackers were able to steal 250 Bitcoins and 185,000 Ethers, representing 15% of Gatecoin’s crypto-asset deposits. Cryptocurrencies are said to be more vulnerable when held in a hot wallet because they’re accessible on the web from any connected device. When they’re in “cold storage,” on the other hand, the private keys needed to transfer their value are held in a secure, offline device.
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ORIGINAL SOURCE: Forbes
