Ticketmaster, a ticketing conglomerate, is currently facing multiple challenges that have raised concerns for both the company and its customers. Firstly, the U.S. Justice Department recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, citing a potential monopoly in the live music and entertainment industry. This move could potentially benefit consumers by promoting fair competition.
However, amidst this legal battle, Ticketmaster is now dealing with a massive data leak. The notorious hacker group known as ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for stealing over 500 million Ticketmaster customers’ data. This breach has affected approximately 560 million users. The hacker group is reportedly selling this extensive trove of sensitive user information for $500,000 on a popular hacking forum.
The stolen data includes customers’ full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and order history information, which consists of ticket purchase details and Ticketmaster event information. Additionally, hackers have obtained partial payment data, including names, the last four digits of credit card numbers, and card expiration dates.
It remains unclear how ShinyHunters carried out the attack, as Ticketmaster has not yet commented on the situation or confirmed the hackers’ claims. However, Australia’s Home Affairs Department has verified a “cyber incident impacting Ticketmaster customers,” suggesting that Australian outlets were among the first to report on the breach.
Ticketmaster has faced previous challenges with bad actors using bots to disrupt the ticketing service and resell tickets. Moreover, the company has a history of being involved in electronic data breaches. In 2020, Ticketmaster agreed to pay $10 million to rival ticketing company SongKick after individuals associated with Ticketmaster gained unauthorized access to SongKick’s computers.
Interestingly, Mashable, a media outlet, has had a prior encounter with ShinyHunters when the hacker group targeted their database in 2020. In that incident, ShinyHunters breached a database connected to a now-disabled Mashable feature that allowed readers to log in to the site using their social media accounts. While email addresses were stolen, more sensitive information like passwords or financial details were not compromised.
ShinyHunters claims to have attempted to contact Ticketmaster regarding the breach but has not received a response thus far.
Overall, Ticketmaster’s recent troubles highlight the vulnerabilities that both companies and consumers face in the digital age. Cybersecurity and data protection have become critical concerns, and incidents like this serve as a reminder of the importance of implementing robust security measures to safeguard sensitive information.