Adidasthe German sports clothing giant in recent days has confirmed that he has suffered a computer attack that exposed the personal data of some users. According to the same company, the intrusion originated from an external supplier in charge of managing customer service, and led to the subtraction of some information relating to users who had had contacts with assistance. Fortunately, the initial investigations exclude the compromise of particularly sensitive datasuch as access credentials or payment information, mitigating (at least in part) the severity of the accident which, however, should not be minimized: the stolen information can in fact be exploited by attacker for attempts to scam or phishing, or IT attacks in which hackers try to obtain further sensitive data by pretending to be a reliable subject.
In the meantime, Adidas has ensured that he had promptly embarked on all the necessary measures for contain the attackstarting a collaboration with cybersicacy experts and notifying the incident to the competent authorities and potentially involved users. If you are among those who have had recent relationships with the company’s customer service, it is advisable keep attention high, monitor communications received from Adidas And adopt greater caution in the management of your data online.
What are the risks of the attack on Adidas and how to avoid problems
Adidasone of the best known sports brands in the world, discovered that an unauthorized third party has managed to access a series of data kept by an external supplier. The critical point concerns the nature of this information: it is contact data such as names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of users who had had contacts with customer support. No evidence has emerged that the access credentials (as a password) or financial data have been the subject of the intrusion, but the only availability of identification data can still be exploited by scammers, for example to orchestrate targeted phishing campaigns.
In situations of this type, an often underestimated element is the domino effect that can derive from it: even apparently “harmless” data can in fact represent the starting point for more serious violations. Computer security experts report that cybercriminals can use the information obtained for Contact users by pretending to be representatives of Adidas or other trusted companiesin an attempt to convince them to provide further confidential details. For this, we recommend that you Pay attention to email, messages on social media or unexpected telephone callsespecially if they refer to alleged security checks or for data updating requests.
Lisa Barberspokesperson for the organization of consumer protection Which?underlined the importance of transparent communication by Adidas and the support to the users involved and said:
Adidas customers will be understandably concerned that their personal data have fallen into the hands of hacker who could try to exploit them, so it is essential that Adidas provides clear and timely updates to interested buyers and supports them in taking measures to protect themselves.
In addition, he suggested that all those who fear have been involved should regularly check your account extracts And if possible, activate notifications for unusual transactions or suspected movements on bank accounts.
Adidas’ response to data theft was quick
From a technical point of view, Adidas’ response was quick: The company has isolated the problem, started an in -depth investigation and involved in the sector to limit potential residual risks. In addition, he began to proactively inform users that are potentially affected, in compliance with personal data protection regulations, as requested in Europe by GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), or the general regulation on the protection of personal data.
In an official note, the German multinational explained:
We immediately took measures to contain the accident and started a complete investigation, collaborating with the main information security experts. The data concerned do not contain passwords, credit card or other payment information. It mainly consists of contact information relating to consumers who had contacted our customer support service in the past. Adidas is informing consumers potentially interested, as well as the competent authorities for data protection and the police consistent with the applicable law.
