Book retailer Dymocks’ customer information has been compromised in a security breach this week, and the hackers leaked the data on the dark web.
Dymocks alerted its customers via email explaining the situation and urged vigilance, emphasising the need for immediate actions to safeguard their data, reported the ABC.
The breach occurred on September 6th, and an investigation was launched as soon as the company caught wind of it.
“On 6 September 2023, Dymocks became aware that an unauthorised party may have access to some of our customer records,” Dymocks said in a statement. “As soon as we became aware of the incident, we, together with our cybersecurity advisers, launched an investigation to assess what happened.”
Dymocks has stated that customer information at risk includes postal addresses, birthdates, email addresses, mobile numbers, gender details, and membership information. The extent of the breach and which customers may have been impacted remain unknown.
“While our investigation is ongoing and at the early stages, our cybersecurity experts have found evidence of discussions regarding our customer records being available on the dark web,” revealed Dymocks.
Customers are strongly advised to change all their passwords for all online accounts, including Dymocks and social media profiles. Given the potential exposure of passwords on the dark web, this precaution is essential to protect against unauthorised access.
Dymocks also advised the customers to exercise caution and remain vigilant for any phishing scams that may arrive via phone calls, postal mail, or email. Cybercriminals often exploit such breaches to launch phishing attacks, aiming to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information.
“We will continue to undertake a thorough investigation of the incident in accordance with the applicable laws,” said the company.
Data breach incidents have been on the rise. A report by Surfshark detailed that global data breaches skyrocketed to 110 million accounts in Q2 of 2023. Recently, Dutch chipmaker NXP confirmed a data breach on its online portal. Even the medical industry is not safe from hackers. MCNA Dental and PharMerica suffered massive data breaches individually.
Another industry that is suffering massive hacking attacks is the automobile industry. In April, Hyundai reported that it suffered data breaches in Italy and France. Hackers are also targeting infrastructure projects such as ports and electrical grids.
All these incidents paint a rather gloomy picture of the future of cyber security in the world. People should protect their privacy by following good practices and constantly changing passwords.
Customers who have concerns or require further information can reach out to Dymocks directly by calling on 1800 849 096 or emailing them at help@mydymocks.com.au
In the News: Apple updates fix zero-day flaws exploited for spying by Pegasus
