Hong Kong Broadband Network, the city’s second largest fixed-line residential broadband provider, discovered on Monday that an inactive customer database had been accessed without authorisation
The personal data of some 380,000 Hong Kong Broadband Network customers, including details for more than 40,000 credit cards, were compromised in a cyberattack against the telecommunications company’s database.
The information kept by the city’s second largest fixed-line residential broadband service provider included names, identity card numbers, credit card details, telephone numbers, email addresses and correspondence addresses, all as of 2012. Hong Kong Broadband Network also offers domestic IDD services and mobile phone packages.
The company on Wednesday said it discovered on Monday that an inactive customer database had been accessed without authorisation. A spokesman said the information belonged to both former and existing customers.
The operator added it had received no communications from the hacker and had no indication who it might be or where the attack originated. It described the hacking as sophisticated.
“The affected customers were alerted by email and text message, and the affected credit cardholders were reminded to be watchful of their bills,” the spokesman said, noting banks had been notified to help contact the cardholders if the company could not reach them.
A follow-up investigation revealed that an unknown party had hacked into a server containing the database, which housed the information of some 380,000 customer and service applicant records for the firm’s residential broadband and IDD services, representing about 10.5 per cent of Hong Kong Broadband Network’s total 3.6 million customer records.
“The group takes this matter very seriously,” the company said in a statement, adding it “immediately reported” the incident to police on Tuesday.
SCMP
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 18 April, 2018, 7:47pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 19 April, 2018, 3:26pm