Consumer must be on alert after Epsilon database hack

The email market messaging firm Epsilon was hacked by hackers hacking its database. Millions of consumer names and emails were stolen. The Epsilon database includes millions of consumers of banks with credit cards, also as those of big retailers. Phishing attacks are expected to be the inevitable result of the Epsilon data base hack, and the company’s clients began warning their consumers Monday. Source for this article – Epsilon database hack exposes millions to phishing attacks by MoneyBlogNewz.

Epsilon clients hit by database hack

There were millions of emails and names stolen in the database hack at Epsilon. This could make history with how large it was. Friday, Epsilon declared that consumer files were hacked meaning email addresses and other information at sites might have been stolen as Epsilon sends over 40 billion marketing emails for 2,500 businesses yearly.

This hurt at least a dozen corporations. Banks were affected by this including J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, U.S. Bancorp, Barclays Bank and Capital One. Consumers have to watch for phishing scams in the future. Watch out if you have been at other businesses as well. These will include Kroger, Walgreens, TiVo, Best Buy and HSN. The hacker may have also stolen student email addresses from The College Board, an organization that oversees SATs in the U.S. for about 5,900 colleges and universities.

Knowing if you are in a con

Spam is more than likely the goal of all the email addresses and names stolen out of the Epsilon database. This data security breach could make “phishing” attacks more effective because cyber-criminals can target actual account holders with a bank or retailer. The phishing email tries to trick them into logging in at a fraudulent site created to look like the real site, which captures the login information and gives hackers access to the account. The hacker can find more information on Facebook about a person after a name and email address is found. This will make the email seem real. Phishing scams often ask customers to update charge card information or urgently warn that if a response isn’t really received the account can be closed. Sometimes the phishing scam will say the account is compromised. They will say information needs to be updated because of this.

Making history with this breach

Although Epsilon said the database hack was limited to consumer names and email addresses, the business hasn’t yet made clear how several consumers or students have been exposed. Epsilon clients already mentioned were not the only ones at risk. AstraZeneca, Kraft Foods, Hilton Hotels and Verizon Communications might also be at risk. Internet security analysts believe the Epsilon database hack might surpass the Heartland Payment Systems hack, currently recognized as the biggest identity-theft incident in United States history. After stealing over 40 million payment card numbers in the Heartland Payment Systems hack, Albert Gonzalez got 20 years in prison as a sentence.

Citations

Associated Press

finance.yahoo.com/news/Banks-creditcard-issuers-warn-apf-754015157.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

MSN Money

money.msn.com/identity-theft/news.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20110403&id=13261200

Computer world

computerworld.com/s/article/print/9215443/Update_Bank_customers_warned_after_breach_at_Epsilon_marketing_firm?taxonomyName=Security&taxonomyId=17

Microsoft

microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/phishing-symptoms.aspx