In a surprising turn of events, “The Bad God,” a thriving fashion brand based in Hanoi, Vietnam, has fallen victim to a significant data breach, revealing the vulnerability of the fashion industry to cybercriminals. The breach has been claimed by an individual using the pseudonym “Serk3t,” who has showcased audacious boldness by advertising a trove of over 400,000 customer records on a hackers’ forum.
The breached data spans the year 2023 and comes with a price tag of only $300, underscoring the alarming accessibility of sensitive information. This breach is distinguished by its use of cryptocurrency payment methods, Bitcoin and Monero, for the exchange of funds, marking a shift in the illicit data trading landscape.
The cybercriminal’s tactics highlight a growing trend of fashion brands being targeted by malicious actors. Beyond The Bad God breach, the industry has witnessed an uptick in cyber attacks, with other prominent brands falling prey to similar incidents.
In a parallel case, the Akira ransomware group targeted Gerber Childrenswear, revealing a disturbing pattern of breaches within the fashion sector. This group gained access to a massive 500GB of confidential information from Gerber Childrenswear’s servers, mirroring the audacity of the breach on The Bad God.
Furthermore, the fashion industry’s vulnerability has been further exposed by other high-profile breaches. In a stark example, renowned fashion retailer JD Sports suffered a data breach that compromised the personal information of a staggering 10 million customers.
Cybercriminals infiltrated JD Sports’ data infrastructure, accessing a vast database spanning purchase records from 2018 to 2020. This breach underscores the urgency for improved cybersecurity measures within the industry.
Even beyond data breaches, the industry has faced controversies with potentially far-reaching consequences. In a separate incident, an Australian fashion house, Not A Man’s Dream, faced backlash for incorporating Arabic text representing “Allah” on its garments during the Melbourne Fashion Festival. This decision led to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks orchestrated by Islamic hacktivist groups against various Australian institutions and businesses.
These events emphasize the intricate intersection of technology, culture, and security in the contemporary fashion landscape.
