Spotify has become the latest company that has been successfully targeted by hackers which has resulted in all users using the Android mobile app being forced to upgrade in the next few days.
It has been confirmed that only one Spotify user’s data was accessed by the hackers but did not contain password credentials, financial or payment information.
The repercussions of this data breach have resulted in a portion of its 40million customer base having to re-enter their login credentials. Spotify has also confirmed that they plan on beefing up the security on their systems in an attempt to improve security for its users. So far, those using Spotify on the iOS and Windows Phone operating systems do not need to take any action.
Chief technology officer, Oskar Stål, stated, “We’ve become aware of some unauthorised access to our systems and internal company data. Our evidence shows that only one Spotify user’s data has been accessed and this did not include any password, financial or payment information. We have contacted this one individual. Based on our findings, we are not aware of any increased risk to users as a result of this incident.”
Ross Brewer who is the vice president and managing director of international markets at LogRhythm believes that this latest incident proves that organisations still don’t have the appropriate security defences in place to protect themselves against cyber-attacks.
Brewer stated, “While this Spotify attack appears to be relatively minor in terms of customer impact, particularly when compared to last week’s eBay furore, it still raises questions about how equipped these companies are to keep our personal information safe.”
Brewer added, “Spotify’s statement makes no reference to when the compromise was discovered, simply that it acted immediately. Given only one user’s data appears to have been accessed, one has to question whether this announcement is a knee-jerk reaction to the criticism surrounding eBay’s slow disclosure. Whatever Spotify’s reasoning, the organisation has to be commended for shrugging off the stigma attached and ensuring the breach didn’t reach the catastrophic proportions of others like it.”
This incident shows the importance of ensuring that you have the strongest security defences in place as hackers are developing new sophisticated attacks at an unprecedented rate. It is also vital that a robust backup solution is in place so data can be recovered no matter if it is deleted or modified by a hacker.
