The Australian government is currently investigating allegations made by a hacking group regarding the theft of details from 560 million customers of Ticketmaster, a global events giant. The FBI has offered to assist in the investigation.
The group, known as ShinyHunters, claimed on an online forum that the stolen data includes customer names, addresses, phone numbers, and partial credit card information. The data was being offered for sale for US$500,000, according to their post.
âThe National Office of Cyber Security is working with Ticketmaster to better understand the situation,â stated an Australian government spokesperson. They advised individuals with specific concerns to contact Ticketmaster directly.
The FBI has offered its support to Australian authorities, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the US embassy.
ShinyHunters gained notoriety in 2020-21 for releasing large volumes of customer records from over 60 companies, as reported by the US Department of Justice.
Earlier this year, Sebastien Raoult, a French hacker and member of ShinyHunters, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay over $5 million in restitution for his involvement in hacking activities.
According to US prosecutors, the hacking resulted in significant financial losses for victim companies and countless individuals, as their data was sold to other criminals.
A request for comment has been sent to Ticketmaster by AFP. However, the authenticity of the data offered by ShinyHunters could not be immediately verified.
– Hacking ‘will grow’ –
University of Wollongong cybersecurity professor Katina Michael warned that hacking incidents are affecting more people with increasingly severe consequences. She suggested that the number of hacking victims could reach up to one billion in the future.
Michael emphasized the need for better protection measures, such as two-factor authentication, and stated that governments, companies, and consumers must do more to safeguard against cyber threats.
Ticketmaster, based in California, operates a prominent online ticket sales platform globally. A recent antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice aims to challenge Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s alleged music industry monopoly.
Ticketmaster’s pricing policies, characterized by high fees and limited alternatives, have been a longstanding issue in the US, with little progress made to promote competition in the market.
lec/arb-djw/qan/dhw
