EasyJet Customer Accounts and Credit Cards Leaked

British budget airline operator EasyJet suffered a significant data breach after bad actors accessed nine million user accounts and the details of around two thousand credit cards.

EasyJet called the hackers behind the attack "highly sophisticated" in the statement announcing the breach. The bad actors gained access to 9 million EasyJet customer emails and travel information, as well as over 2 thousand credit card detail details. The airline operator did not specify when exactly the attack took place but said they would notify all affected customers within a week from announcing the breach. The company notified the respective UK authorities and hired cyber-security experts to investigate the intrusion.

This breach pales in comparison to the one that hit British Airways in 2018, which led to a massive fine of $225 million, imposed under the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union. Half a million customers were affected back then and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office blamed British Airways for the breach, deeming the company’s security measures inadequate.

Worries Over Potential Phishing Attempts

Part of the reason why EasyJet informed its customers about the intrusion is that it could be followed by phishing attacks using stolen information, which could do a lot more harm in the coming months. To minimize the risk of any potential future attacks and phishing attempts, the airline operator warned customers to be particularly careful with any unsolicited correspondence. The company stated that it has no information about misuse of any customer information so far.

EasyJet has "closed off" all unauthorized access to its customer data. The company’s CEO mentioned that EasyJet is continually working on improving its cybersecurity level and preparedness but also stated that the attacks and bad actors behind them change as well and get increasingly more sophisticated, which makes the battle harder.