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Acer Announces Data Breach Through E-Commerce Store - expert comment
June 2016 by Lisa Baergen, Director at NuData Security
Hardware and electronics giant Acer announced that is has suffered a data breach through its e-commerce site. The company has stated that users who had accessed its e-commerce site between May 12, 2015 and April 28, 2016 may have had their information compromised due to the unauthorised access of a third-party. Although Acer has not revealed how many users have been hit by the breach, they have revealed that data such as names, addresses, payment card numbers, card expiration dates and three-digit security codes (CVV numbers) may have been compromised.
Lisa Baergen, Director at NuData Security:
"Breaches like this are of extreme significance and are very concerning, especially since financial information was stolen. Hackers were able to access the names, addresses and credit card information of Acer customers. What victims of a breach don’t always recognise is that every bit of information is important, not just the theft of credit card details. Coupling this data with details from other breaches, more comprehensive identities can be built and sold for a higher value on the Dark Web.
These bundles, often referred to as “fulz,” contain much more comprehensive information around specific individuals, meaning there are more opportunities for fraud to take place. For example, with enough data collected from separate breaches, a fraudster could gain access to financial and geographical information to fill out a loan application or apply for a new credit card. Fortunately, there is a means of stopping fraudsters from using their precious compiled data before catastrophic damage can be done. Organisations at the forefront of protecting their brand and users are leveraging online fraud detection solutions that employ behavioural analysis.
By employing a passive behavioural analysis platform, organisations are able to protect their users, and stop any deceitful transactions from taking place. Behavioural analysis serves as a means of understanding how legitimate users truly act, thereby predicting and preventing fraud from occurring, without ever needing to interrupt the user experience.“
