Swiss company Datasport faces the aftermath of a cyber attack that has resulted in the theft of data belonging to up to one million amateur athletes. The compromised dataset, containing names, phone numbers, and email addresses, is reported to have been offered for sale on a hacker forum. Datasport emphasizes that security-critical information such as passwords and payment details remains unaffected, clarifying that much of the exposed data is publicly available on Datasport.com, shared by users themselves. Initially, the breach, which occurred on January 22, was thought to impact only a few data sets, but it has since been revealed that up to one million pieces of data were compromised.
Despite the scale of the breach, Datasport CEO Thomas Bachofner assures that sensitive information like passwords and payment details remains secure. The company notes that the criminal access has not compromised essential security elements, limiting the potential risks associated with the breach. The incident highlights the evolving threat landscape faced by organizations handling personal data and underlines the need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard user information. As a Swiss company, over 900,000 of the compromised data records are reported to concern Swiss nationals, with the remaining records affecting individuals from neighboring countries.
Datasport, known for providing sports event services such as timing, start number processes, and online registrations, offers users the ability to collect and publish their performance data. The breach underscores the broader challenges faced by companies operating in the sports industry, emphasizing the importance of implementing stringent cybersecurity protocols to protect the personal information of athletes and participants involved in various events.
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