Cyber Incident Victim: Infinity Diagnostics Center
Date:
Jun 2020
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A Houston-based diagnostics center's social media account was compromised by an unknown threat actor who posted racist messages falsely claiming the business did not support or employ African Americans. The malicious posts prompted hateful comments and death threats against the company's founder, who emphasized her inclusive employment practices and reported employing African American staff. The victim requested the platform deactivate the account and suspected a former employee with prior access might be responsible. Law enforcement initiated an investigation into the incident, resulting in ongoing security checks at the business.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On June 11, 2020, unidentified threat actors compromised the Instagram account of Houston-based Infinity Diagnostics Center. The attackers gained unauthorized access to the company's social media platform and posted multiple racist messages through Instagram Stories during the afternoon hours. These fabricated posts falsely claimed the business did not support or employ African Americans, with one message stating, "Here at Infinity we do not support African Americans. If we kept them picking cotton we wouldn't be having these issues with them," while another asserted, "We do not employ African American individuals. The things going on right now is a clear example that they do not know how to behave." These statements directly contradicted the company's actual employment practices, as founder and CEO Jessica Hatch confirmed regular employment of African American staff members, including at least one massage therapist.
The malicious posts triggered immediate backlash against Hatch and her business. She received numerous hateful comments and direct death threats through digital channels following the account compromise. Hatch described feeling personally attacked by the incident, characterizing the experience as "just horrible." In response, she contacted Instagram to request permanent closure of the compromised account, noting the last legitimate access had occurred six weeks prior to the attack. Hatch publicly suggested a former employee with historical social media access might be responsible for the breach. The Houston Police Department initiated an investigation into both the unauthorized account access and the subsequent threats. The incident resulted in ongoing police welfare checks on Hatch and her business premises, significantly disrupting normal operations and creating security concerns beyond the initial digital compromise.