Abta Data Breach - Industry Commentary
March 2017 by David Kennerley, director of threat research at Webroot
Following the news that travel company Abta has suffered a data breach, David Kennerley, Director of Threat Research at Webroot:
"This attack shows that businesses need to consider cybersecurity from a 360 degree
perspective. Organisations need to be reminded that they remain responsible for all
information entrusted to them by their customers, whether the data is stored and
transmitted internally or is processed by third-party entities. Hackers only need
to find one weakness in any system.
Customers will have to take steps to ensure that their personal details are secure
by changing passwords and being vigilant for attempts to access further data and
information. What is even more concerning is the loss of personally identifiable
information for 1,000 customers who will now be at risk of identity theft.
Fundamentally, companies need to be extra vigilant when engaging with any third
parties. Security must always be part of the conversation, as in customer’s eyes
Abta will be responsible for this data loss, not the third party firm."