A key attribute to keep in mind when your information is caught up in a data breach is vigilance. 

The damage you may face following a data breach will likely not appear immediately after the breach is discovered or reported. Cybercriminals may sit on your stolen information for an extended period of time, hoping you will let your guard down.

It’s why, in addition to taking immediate steps such as changing your password, you should continuously monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity. By keeping tabs on your accounts, you’ll be able to act quickly should your data be misused by any bad actors. 

Acting quickly can help mitigate any damages you may face, but you can only know about misuse by surveying your accounts for anomalies and by identifying suspicious messages you may receive.

In this installment of the BlackCloak Thursday Threat Update, we’ll look at a pair of data breaches affecting Ticketmaster and Christie’s auction house.

Ticketmaster data breach confirmed, 560M customers may be affected

What we know: Live Nation confirmed Ticketmaster experienced a data breach, and hundreds of millions of customers may be affected. The group behind the attack claims to have the personal information belonging to 560 million people, and has offered to sell it on hacking forums for $500,000. Compromised data may include customers’ names, physical and  email addresses, phone numbers and partial credit card data, such as customers’ names, the last four digits of their card and expiration dates.

Recommendations: Keep an eye out for any suspicious messages you may receive. Cybercriminals may use this data to send phishing emails, and phishing messages sent via SMS text messages, a tactic known as “smishing.” Ticketmaster customers should monitor their accounts for fraudulent transactions, and should consider using a virtual payment card rather than their debit or credit card when shopping online. Virtual payment cards provide generated credit card information that is not tied to your bank or credit card accounts, and can be shut down if one is caught up in a breach.

 

Christie’s auction house experiences breach impacting 500K

What we know: The personal information belonging to 500,000 people may have been exposed following a data breach against Christie’s auction house. The ransomware group behind the attack claims it will release the information in its possession unless it receives payment. In addition to victims’ names, Christie said phone numbers, email addresses signatures, financial and transactional records were exposed in the incident.

Recommendations: Similar to the Ticketmaster breach, be on the lookout for phishing messages that may be sent to you through email or by text message. Additionally, Christie’s customers should keep an eye on their financial records for any suspicious transactions that may have been made.

 

Stop attacks when they come after you

Cyberthreats come in all shapes and sizes, but there are steps you can take to ensure you do not become a victim of whatever attack may come your way.

 

Learn how to protect yourself against SIM swapping attacks and how to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks at your own home.

 

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