Pam Golding, a South Africa-based real estate company, is actively managing the aftermath of a recent cyberattack. The company confirmed a “cyber incident” in which unauthorized access to personal information stored on its CRM system was detected. This breach involved some client details, but it was clarified that no banking, financial, or commercial information was compromised. Pam Golding assured customers that their sensitive data was protected from unauthorized exposure during the incident.
Upon realizing the breach on March 7, Pam Golding immediately took steps to secure its systems.
The company removed all unauthorized access and began investigating the extent of the breach. It also promptly implemented measures to prevent further compromises and notified affected clients, as required by South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The company has reported the incident to the Information Regulator and South African Police Services (SAPS) for further investigation.
To mitigate the risks and prevent a recurrence, Pam Golding took several precautionary steps.
They secured the affected user accounts, terminated all active sessions, and reset system-wide passwords. The company conducted a comprehensive review of system access logs to identify the extent of the data exposure. It has also patched any vulnerabilities and reinforced its security protocols. Additionally, independent cybersecurity experts were appointed to assist in the investigation and suggest further measures for improvement.
Pam Golding communicated to affected clients about potential risks, including the possibility of fraudulent emails or messages based on the compromised information. While no misuse of the data has been detected, the company advised clients to remain cautious about sharing sensitive information. The breach adds to the growing concerns in South Africa regarding data security, as the Information Regulator has received thousands of complaints about data breaches from both public and private organizations.
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