Southern Water are sending out emails to customers wrt a recent hack of their database.
"Cyber attack: important information about your personal data
I
am very sorry to inform you that Southern Water has been the target of
an illegal cyber attack, which has unfortunately affected the security
of some of your personal data, as one of our customers.
We
are currently conducting an intensive investigation into this,
supported by industry experts and following guidance from our regulators
together with the National Cyber Security Centre. Our operations and
services have not been impacted and your water supply is unaffected.
As
a result of this investigation, we have reason to believe that the data
stolen and at risk, and which relates to you, may include:
What we are doing to reduce the risk to you
Southern
Water takes its data protection and information security
responsibilities to you seriously, and so we are bringing this to your
attention as soon as we can. We are working closely with the regulatory
authorities. We have notified the Information Commissioner’s Office and
are in regular contact with the National Cyber Security Centre. In
addition, we have taken further steps, with support from independent
cybersecurity experts, to enhance the security monitoring of our IT
infrastructure.
We
have also engaged a reputable third party to monitor the dark web on
our behalf. They report that, since we were named on the cyber
criminals’ site on 22 January 2024, they have found no new evidence of
data potentially compromised by this cyber incident being published
online. They will continue to carry out these checks for as long as
necessary.
To
ensure that we’re doing everything we can to look after you, we are
offering you a 12-month, free-of-charge, enhanced Experian credit
monitoring membership. This service provides identity monitoring and
helps detect possible misuse of your personal information. It also
supports identification and resolution of identity theft incidents....
What is the background?
On
22 January 2024 we became aware that a cyber criminal organisation was
claiming on its website to have stolen data from some of our IT systems.
We
had previously detected suspicious activity and launched an
investigation, as well as enhanced monitoring and other precautionary
measures. Our independent cyber security specialists continue to
investigate.
What happens next?
The
information we have provided is based on what we know at this time. Our
investigation remains active, and should we receive any additional
material information, we will contact you.
Once
again, I am very sorry that this has happened and for any inconvenience
this illegal breach of data may cause you. We are working closely with
the authorities and industry experts, to do everything possible to
manage the situation and support you at this time.
Please call our dedicated customer service team on 0330 303 0025 if you have any questions.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The
National Cyber Security Centre, the Financial Conduct Authority and the
Information Commissioners Office all provide helpful information to
help protect your data and prevent fraud. This is summarised below with
some useful links.
-
Stay alert against any suspicious calls, texts or emails which could be
a scam. If you receive any suspicious messages or calls, do not hand over any information such as your bank account details.
Instead, hang up, or delete any worrying texts or emails and then
contact your bank to report the suspicious activity. The FCA has some
useful information on how to spot the warning signs of financial scams
at www.fca.org.uk/consumers/protect-yourself-scams.
- Cyber criminals commonly use a scam technique called “phishing”,
which is mostly email-based but can also be via telephone calls, to
lure victims under false pretences to websites which appear legitimate
to get them to provide information including bank account and credit
card details. These emails/phone calls appear to be from recognisable
sources such as banks but actually link to fraudulent websites. To help
prevent phishing:
- More helpful information on how to protect your data can be found on the National Cyber Security Centre’s website - www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/data-breaches and the Information Commissioner’s Office website – www.ico.org.uk/for-the-public/identity-theft and www.ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online."
Summary
- Southern Water, a UK water utility company, confirmed that their IT systems were compromised in a cyberattack in January 2024.
- Hackers stole data from a "limited
portion" of their server infrastructure, affecting potentially hundreds
of thousands of customers.
- The data breach was claimed by the Black
Basta ransomware group, who threatened to release the stolen information
unless a ransom was paid.
- Southern Water has not confirmed the extent
of the data stolen, but reports suggest it may include names,
addresses, and contact information.
Current situation:
- Southern Water is working with
cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and monitor the dark web
for any signs of leaked data.
- No evidence of the stolen data being published online has been found so far.
- The incident has been reported to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office.
Impact:
- The affected customers have been notified and are advised to be cautious of phishing attempts or suspicious activity.
- The full impact of the breach is still
being assessed, but it could potentially lead to identity theft,
financial fraud, or other forms of harm.
Additional resources:
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