What Kind Of Data Was Stolen ? Samsung Confirms Customer Data Stolen In July Data Breach
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In a press release issued on July, Samsung reported that the personal information and data of some of its customers had been compromised. The incident would appear to be another case of a high-profile technology company failing to protect sensitive customer data. However, in this instance, it wasn’t hackers who managed to compromise the firm’s security measures but an employee who was responsible for handling user information.
In a statement released by Samsung on August 4, they provided more details regarding what personal information had been compromised as well as which regions were affected. The breach primarily involved customers registered with Samsung in Central America and South America, or people with billing addresses in those territories. This means users based in North America or Europe are not thought to have been impacted by the breach.
What Kind Of Data Was Stolen ?
The stolen data included the names, phone numbers, and email address of users registered in the Central and South America regions, as well as their Samsung account ID numbers, the last 8 digits of their credit card numbers, device names, device ID numbers, and IMEI numbers. In other words, the hackers would have been able to use this information to access the victim’s accounts, make fraudulent purchases, and/or change their account information.
Which Samsung Services Were Affected ?
The services which were affected by this breach include the Samsung Members app, Samsung Pay, the Samsung Book service, and the Samsung Rewards program. Since the Members app is used as Samsung’s main login service, the hackers would have been able to gain access to all other Samsung apps, as well as the user’s Samsung account settings.
The Rewards program, on the other hand, is used to incentivize loyal users, giving them points for using Samsung products and services. Moreover, the hackers may have been able to use the stolen data to subscribe to premium services and content without the user’s knowledge or consent.
What Can We Learn From The Samsung Data Breach ?
This breach proves that even the largest tech companies are not infallible when it comes to protecting user data. Finally, the hacker who was responsible for the breach had worked for Samsung for just under a year and was in the process of being fired, suggesting that the company’s internal security protocols are either insufficient or aren’t followed strictly enough. When it comes to protecting your data, it’s essential to use a VPN.
VPNs encrypt all the data you send and receive, protecting you from hackers, advertisers, and government surveillance. Moreover, the breach suggests that we now need to be vigilant about all the services we sign up for. While most of us are careful about the apps we install and use, we often don’t consider the third-party services we sign up to.
How Do You Stay Safe In The Wake Of This Breach ?
Samsung’s customers have been advised to change their passwords as soon as possible. In addition, they should be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on their accounts and report anything they find to Samsung. In the future, you can use a VPN to protect yourself against identity theft and the theft of sensitive information. VPNs work by encrypting all your data, including communications and internet browsing, which means that it’s effectively unreadable to third parties.
Furthermore, VPNs not only protect you from hackers and malicious actors, but also from ISPs and governments, who may be trying to access your sensitive information.
Final Words: Stay Safe By Using Encryption
Whether you’re sending sensitive information to your doctor or logging in to your online banking account, encryption is essential for keeping your data protected. Indeed, encryption is one of the most effective ways to stay safe online, and it’s something that we rely on daily without even knowing it. However, the Samsung data breach shows that we can’t rely on big tech companies to keep our data safe for us.
You need to take responsibility for your own security by using encryption whenever possible.
