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 knowledge breach, probably impacting between 235,000 and 470,000 of its clients. The breach, which occurred in January, noticed hackers accessing delicate buyer data throughout a cyberattack.

The corporate, serving tens of millions throughout the area, disclosed that “5 to 10 p.c” of its buyer base might need had their private knowledge compromised. This estimate, primarily based on ongoing forensic investigations, leaves room for the likelihood that the variety of affected people might rise.

Particulars of the stolen knowledge, as reported by BBC Information, embody clients’ dates of beginning, nationwide insurance coverage numbers, checking account particulars, and reference numbers. Southern Water has but to verify the specifics of the compromised data.

Along with buyer knowledge, Southern Water revealed plans to tell all present and a few former workers in regards to the breach. The utility agency, using round 6,000 people, remains to be investigating the total 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 web site, threatening to launch 750 gigabytes of delicate company and buyer knowledge except a ransom was paid. The leak web site’s itemizing included screenshots of stolen paperwork, corresponding to 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.

In keeping with TechCrunch, in response to the breach, Southern Water said it’s collaborating with cybersecurity consultants to watch the darkish internet for any indicators of the stolen knowledge being printed. To date, the corporate reviews no proof of the compromised knowledge showing on-line.

The incident has been reported to the U.Okay.’s Info Commissioner’s Workplace, as Southern Water continues to evaluate the breach’s affect and work on bolstering its cybersecurity measures to stop future assaults.

Maxwell Nelson

Freelance Journalist

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