What you need to know about the massive Ticketmaster hack that compromised the data of 560 million customers

A group of cybercriminals called ShinyHunters on an online forum accused of stealing data from all over 560 million Ticketmaster customersone of the main portals for selling tickets to events.

Producer Living nation, based in Beverly Hills, California, has confirmed a security breach and is investigating a data breach at its Ticketmaster subsidiary. A regulatory report last Friday noted that on May 27, a “criminal criminal” offered to sell Ticketmaster’s data on dark web.

However, the trading company assured that the cyberattack is “not yet tested”, so it cannot know whether its alleged authors came up with it.

Media reports claim that ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the online forum hack and was looking for $500,000 for data which presumably include names, addresses, phone numbers and some credit card information. millions of Ticketmaster customers.

In a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Live Nation said that on May 20 it discovered “unauthorized activity” in a database that stored “Company Data”, prompting leading forensic experts to conduct immediate investigation to establish the fact. According to the report, the scale of the incident. Subsequently, on May 27, the “criminal criminal” allegedly put up for sale what he claimed to be Ticketmaster data about dark web or “dark web”.

According to posts on the BreachForums platform, the breach attributed to ShinyHunters has raised concerns. The group is allegedly demanding half a million dollars for the 1.3 database. terabytes containing personal data of 560 million users, including names, addresses, phone numbers and credit card information. However, Live Nation’s documents do not indicate the number of Ticketmaster users affected or confirm the involvement of ShinyHunters.

In its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Live Nation said that “we are working to reduce the risk for our users” and that he cooperated with law enforcement officials. He also noted that it was hardly that the breach would have a “material impact on our overall business operations.”

Additionally, the production company has not revealed whether ShinyHunters are the culprits.

The breach comes amid increased scrutiny of Ticketmaster’s market dominance. On May 23, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, accusing them of using illegal monopoly on live events in the US. The department has asked the court to overturn a system it says limits competition and raises prices for fans.

Live Nation controls at least 80% of ticket sales at major concert venues, directly manages more than 400 artists, controls more than 60% of concert equity nationwide and owns or controls more than 60% of great U.S. amphitheaters, it said. US Attorney General, Merrick Garland.

In the lawsuit, the Justice Department accuses the production company of using several tactics, including using long-term contracts to prevent venues from selecting competing ticket sellers, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers, and threatening venues that could cause them to lose money and fans. if they don’t choose ticket master.

“It’s time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for Live Nation’s monopoly (…) It’s time to restore competition and innovation to the entertainment industry. It’s time to disband Live Nation-Ticketmaster. The American people are ready for this,” Garland said.

ShinyHunters, the group involved in the massive hack, has a history of cyber intrusions, including notable incidents targeting Tokopedia, Unacademy, Wattpad, AT&T Wireless and Microsoft. After the arrest of one of its members Sebastian RaoultLast January, the Department of Justice uncovered extensive illegal activity that included the sale of hacked data to more than 60 companies and caused multimillion-dollar losses to the affected companies.

The Frenchman was sentenced in US District Court in Seattle to three years in prison.

To protect against such practices, it is recommended that you closely monitor phishing. That is, a method used to trick users into sharing passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information. Therefore, experts advise Keep a close eye on your bills and credit cardsand use strong and unique passwords.

While neither Live Nation nor Ticketmaster have made a public statement regarding the breach, a Ticketmaster blog published prior to the hack reported that general guidance on protecting information and records.

(According to AP and EFE)