WhizComms data breach: half of customers affected
Take action: In case your ID card is stolen, be very mindful of identity theft and possible taking out of quick loans or other agreements in your name. Investigate if your bank or government institution has a mechanism to alert you or block such attempts.
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In a data breach incident detected on April 21, approximately half of WhizComms' customer base, or around 24,000 customers, had their personal information stolen by an external party.
After WhizComms staff detected the data breach, the service provider blocked any further third party access and filed a police report.
The affected individuals were notified this week via email that a third party had accessed the company's web server and downloaded scanned images of customers' personal information. The majority of the downloaded information consisted of scanned images of NRICs (National Registration Identity Cards) required for broadband service registration. Some scanned images of work permits and visa approval documents were also obtained. However, the spokesperson clarified that customers' contact information and payment details were not compromised. The company conducted a thorough investigation and determined that no other information besides what was found on the NRICs or work permits had been compromised. It is important to note that the stolen NRIC information may not necessarily correspond to the actual installation addresses for the broadband service. Once the breach was detected, WhizComms took immediate action to block further third-party access and filed a police report. The spokesperson refrained from providing additional details due to ongoing investigations.
