Ticketmaster data breach reportedly affects millions of users

Ticketmaster data breach overview: 

• Who:  Ticketmaster reportedly suffered a data breach that exposed sensitive information belonging to 560 million users. 
• Why: Hacking group ShinyHunters reportedly is behind the data breach and attempted to extort Ticketmaster and its owner Live Nation prior to putting the stolen information up for sale for $500,000. 
• Where: The data breach affects certain consumers nationwide. 

Sensitive information belonging to some 560 million Ticketmaster users has reportedly been exposed in a data breach. 

A hacking group known as ShinyHunters recently published a 1.3-terabyte database of compromised data on the newly reopened BreachForums website, reports TechRadar. 

Information exposed in the data breach reportedly includes names, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, ticket sales, event details, order information and partial payment card data. 

ShinyHunters — which reportedly first reached out to Ticketmaster and its owner Live Nation in an effort to extort the companies — is asking for $500,000 in exchange for the stolen data, reports TechRadar. 

BreachForums — a popular underground hacking forum — was recently shut down by the FBI. However, the website appears to have been reopened, something ShinyHunters pledged to do after the site was shut down by the feds, reports TechRadar. 

Partial payment data of Ticketmaster users compromised in data breach

Partial payment data exposed in the data breach reportedly included names, expiration dates, certain customer fraud details and the final four digits on the users’ cards. 

Ticketmaster was in the news in May after the U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state and district attorneys filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against the company. 

The federal and state governments claim Ticketmaster and its owner Live Nation have created a monopoly in the live event ticket market and have used said monopoly to charge uncompetitive prices and fees. 

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters and venue operators,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement at the time. 

Ticketmaster previously agreed in 2014 to pay $400 million to put an end to claims the company illegally overcharged customers for certain fees when they purchased tickets from its website. Ticketmaster would ultimately go on to merge with Live Nation in 2010. 

Are you affected by the Ticketmaster data breach? Let us know in the comments.

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