Web.com Breach Affects 93,000 Customers

Web hosting company Web.com announced that it has suffered a data breach in which personal information and payment card details of 93,000 customers were illegally accessed.

Florida-based Web.com Group has revealed that malicious attackers have breached the computer systems of the web hosting provider to steal credit card information of some 93,000 customers, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Related news: Average Cost of Data Breach: $6.5 Million, Claims Study

The breach was initially detected on Aug 13 and Web.com confirms that it has reached out to law enforcement and a leading cybersecurity firm to help aid the company with its investigation.

“On August 13, 2015, Web.com discovered an unauthorized breach of one of our computer systems. As the result of this attack, the credit card information of approximately 93,000 customers (of the company’s over 3.3 million customers) may have been compromised,” the company said in a series of FAQs posted on a website set up to share information about the breach.

Another day, another credit card breach.

Web.com confirmed that compromised customer information includes names and addresses related to the 93,000 accounts. Despite the striking numbers, no other customer information such as social security numbers, security codes and card validation information were compromised, the company insists.

It is important to note that there are plenty of websites on the internet that do not require security codes nor validation information for purchases.

In a statement, the company’s chairman and CEO, David L. Brown said:

“The security of our customer information is a high priority for Web.com. Our goals are simple – to protect our clients from internet attacks and, in the event that an attack succeeds, to fix the problem immediately.”

Although the company did not reveal how the attackers gained entry into its systems, the vulnerable point of entry was immediately shut down after its discovery, Web.com said.

Web.com operates by providing a number of online services including domain registration, web hosting and web page design, search engine optimization among other services. The company also owns two other web service companies: Network Solutions and Register.com, which it insists weren’t impacted by the breach.

In the immediate aftermath of the breach, Web.com has notified customers affected by the hackers via email. Additionally, these customers will also be sent letters through the U.S. Postal Service.

The company further added that the issue has now been resolved after it began to work with a “nationally recognized IT security firm to conduct a thorough investigation,” presumably following up with an exhaustive Data Breach Response.

“Web.com has very strong and sophisticated security measures in place to protect our computer systems and we regularly review and update our security protocols,” the company said. “Unfortunately, cybercrime is a persistent threat in today’s world. Despite our best efforts, no business is immune.”