Southern Water reports major data breach impacting hundreds of thousands

Southern Water, a number one water utility firm within the South East of England, has announced a big information breach, probably impacting between 235,000 and 470,000 of its clients. The breach, which occurred in January, noticed hackers accessing delicate buyer info throughout a cyberattack.
The corporate, serving hundreds of thousands throughout the area, disclosed that “5 to 10 %” of its buyer base may need had their private information compromised. This estimate, based mostly on ongoing forensic investigations, leaves room for the likelihood that the variety of affected people might rise.
Particulars of the stolen information, as reported by BBC Information, embody clients’ dates of delivery, nationwide insurance coverage numbers, checking account particulars, and reference numbers. Southern Water has but to verify the specifics of the compromised info.
Along with buyer information, Southern Water revealed plans to tell all present and a few former workers concerning the breach. The utility agency, using round 6,000 people, remains to be investigating the complete extent of the incident.
The cyberattack was claimed by the Black Basta ransomware group, identified for its hyperlinks to Russia and former assaults on main organizations just like the U.Okay. outsourcing large Capita. Shortly after the assault, Black Basta listed Southern Water on its darkish internet leak website, threatening to launch 750 gigabytes of delicate company and buyer information except a ransom was paid. The leak website’s itemizing included screenshots of stolen paperwork, reminiscent of worker passports and id playing cards.
As of now, Southern Water’s identify has been faraway from Black Basta’s web site, a transfer typically seen after sufferer firms adjust to ransom calls for. Nonetheless, Southern Water has not disclosed whether or not it paid any ransom.
Based on TechCrunch, in response to the breach, Southern Water acknowledged it’s collaborating with cybersecurity consultants to watch the darkish internet for any indicators of the stolen information being revealed. Up to now, the corporate reviews no proof of the compromised information showing on-line.
The incident has been reported to the U.Okay.’s Data Commissioner’s Workplace, as Southern Water continues to evaluate the breach’s influence and work on bolstering its cybersecurity measures to forestall future assaults.

Maxwell Nelson
Freelance Journalist
Maxwell Nelson, a seasoned crypto journalist and content material strategist, has notably contributed to industry-leading platforms reminiscent of Cointelegraph, OKX Insights, and Decrypt, weaving advanced crypto narratives into insightful articles that resonate with a broad readership.
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