In late May the hacking group ShinyHunters claimed to have obtained personal details from more than 500 million Ticketmaster customers and was offering the data for sale on the dark web, and the company has now confirmed that customer data may have been "exposed".
In an email sent to affected customers, Ticketmaster confirmed that they'd identified "unauthorised activity" in a cloud database operated by a third party, and that the personal information of "some customers" who bought tickets to events in North America (U.S., Canada and/or Mexico) may have been open to compromise.
According to Ticketmaster, the affected database stored customer details including "email, phone number, as well as other personal information you provided to us including payment card information such as encrypted credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates."
Ticketmaster emphasises that accounts remain secure and login details have not been exposed, but is offering affected customers a "free 12-month identity monitoring service" with TransUnion, a company that offers a number of services related to online identity protection.
Customers who sign up for the identity monitoring service are advised that they will "receive an email from Ticketmaster with enrollment details within the next few weeks."
"We have been working with industry-leading cybersecurity experts, the relevant authorities, including law enforcement, as well as credit card companies and banks," say Ticketmaster. "No further unauthorised activity has been seen in the cloud database since we began our investigation.
"There is nothing you need to do. However, exposure of personal information can, in some cases, increase the risk of identity theft or fraud, so it’s always a good idea to monitor your bank accounts. If you notice any suspicious activity, contact your bank and/or credit card companies."
