Hackers have managed to gain access to the credit card details of approximately 1.7 million people, mainly located in Canada and the USA. A Florida-based payment processor company called Slim CD confirmed that cybercriminals have been lurking around the company’s network for over nine months. This summer, the bad actors had two full days to steal personal information, including credit card numbers and expiration dates. The exposed data also includes full names and physical addresses.
Unknown attack vector and delayed discovery
It is currently unknown who is behind the attack. And there is no explanation as to why the payment gateway company took almost a year to discover the network intrusion. It is also unclear how the bad actors managed to infiltrate the company systems. However, many believe that the attack was likely a result of social engineering, malware, or a phishing attack.
Impact and mitigation
After discovering the data breach, Slim CD patched the loophole and began notifying the affected users. Luckily, the stolen credit card information does not include card verification numbers (CVV). Which will likely decrease the amount of damage the cyber criminals will cause after snatching the personal information from the electronic payment firm.
Slim CD does not offer the affected people free identity protection but advises them to use free credit monitoring services and be vigilant for suspicious activities on their banking and credit reports. Currently, there are no reports of the stolen info being used maliciously.
Affected customers and recommendations
The breach only affects credit card holders whose payments were processed by Slim CD’s electronic payment gateway. And the notices may come as a surprise to the hundreds of thousands of people potentially affected by the Slim CD breach. Often, people do not realize what the payment gateway is when purchasing items from merchants or retailers.
The affected customers are strongly advised to notify their bank or credit card provider. They should also request the replacement of any cards the breach might have exposed. The card replacement is usually free. It will change the credit card numbers and expiration dates of the leaked credit card.
Read also: Credit Card Fraud Prevention: 12 Tips to Protect Yourself
Getting the card details changed will provide victims with peace of mind. Hackers will not be able to connect the dots and perform fraudulent transactions. It is crucial for affected users to remain vigilant and not fall for any follow-up hacking attempts that ask them to reveal additional sensitive information. Equipping oneself with antivirus software is a powerful tool. It can help prevent hackers from completing the puzzle when it comes to data breaches.