Australia Probes Alleged Ticketmaster Hack, Stealing Data from 560 Million Customers

Australia has recently launched a probe into claims by a hacking group that they have stolen the details of 560 million customers from global events company Ticketmaster, according to a report by AFP.

ShinyHunters Claim to Have Hacked Ticketmaster's 560 Million Customers

The group, known as ShinyHunters, claimed in an online forum that the stolen data encompasses sensitive information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, partial credit card details of customers, and more. They are allegedly offering the data for a one-time sale price of $500,000.

An Australian government spokesperson told AFP that the National Office of Cyber Security is currently engaging with Ticketmaster to understand the specifics of the incident. They advised individuals with specific inquiries to contact the company directly.

The FBI has also extended its offer of support to Australian authorities, according to a spokesperson from the US embassy.

ShinyHunters became widely recognized in 2020 to 2021 for releasing substantial amounts of customer records from over 60 companies, as stated by the US Department of Justice. Earlier this year, Sebastien Raoult, a French hacker linked to ShinyHunters, received a three-year prison sentence from a Seattle court.

Additionally, he was ordered to pay over $5 million in restitution after admitting to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. US prosecutors indicated that ShinyHunters' hacking activities rendered millions of dollars in losses for affected companies and considerable further losses for hundreds of millions of individuals whose data was sold to other cybercriminals.

However, it is worth noting that the validity of the dataset claimed by ShinyHunters has yet to be confirmed.

Professor Katina Michael, a cybersecurity expert from the University of Wollongong, told AFP about the growing impact of such hacks on an increasing number of people. She forecasts that the number of affected individuals could rise, potentially reaching up to a billion in the future.

She pointed out that governments, companies, and consumers are not taking sufficient measures to protect themselves, often ignoring basic security practices such as two-factor authentication.

Ticketmaster Faces DOJ's Antitrust Lawsuit

Ticketmaster, headquartered in California, is one of the largest online ticket sales platforms globally. In recent news, the US Department of Justice initiated a significant antitrust lawsuit to dismantle Ticketmaster and Live Nation's alleged monopoly within the music sector.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed that Live Nation impeded competition by employing various strategies, including the acquisition of smaller regional promoters and venues, issuing threats and retaliations, and forming agreements with competitors.

The intense scrutiny in the company began following following the challenging ticket-buying experience encountered by Taylor Swift fans on The Eras Tour. Technical issues and long wait times marred the presale process, leading to the cancellation of the public sale due to excessive website traffic.

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