Hackers stole sensitive details on 100,000 people from an
outsourcing company named Interserve, but the attackers are unknown and the
company offered no additional information.
News of the intrusion surfaced a couple of days ago, and
it looks like a lot of the data stolen is sensitive, including employee names
and their addresses, bank details, payroll information, HR records, pension
information and much more.
Such data is extremely valuable on the dark web, as it
can be used in a variety of ways, such as stealing people’s identities,
compromising their bank accounts and so on. Interserve works directly with the
UK government, making it all the more a target. According to a Telegraph
report, the company recently helped build the Birmingham Nightingale Hospital.
“Interserve was the target of a cybersecurity attack
earlier this month. Interserve is working closely with the National Cyber
Security Centre (NCSC) and Strategic Incident Response teams to investigate,
contain and remedy the situation,” said an Interserve spokesperson.
“This will take some time and some operational services
may be affected. Interserve has informed the Information Commissioner (ICO) of
the incident. We will provide further updates when appropriate. Interserve’s
employees, former employees, clients and suppliers are requested to exercise
heightened vigilance during this time.”
People affected by the data breach should pay close
attention to their bank accounts and other online accounts for any sign of
compromise. Making matters worse, Interserve is on the verge of being broken up
as it had financial problems and the new owners will take further steps in this
direction in coming months. Dealing with a massive data breach is just the
cherry on top.