Eurostar has forced a password reset for customers after revealing that an undisclosed number of them may have had their accounts accessed by a malicious third party.
It’s unclear whether all Eurostar customers were required to change their passwords or just those affected.
The note sent to customers warned that the train operator had detected an “unauthorized automated attempt” to log-in to some accounts between October 15 and 19.
“Please be reassured that your credit card or payment details haven’t been compromised as we never store such information on eurostar.com accounts,” it continued.
“We’d recommend that you reset your Eurostar password and check for anything unusual on your account. We’d also recommend updating your login details on other websites where you use the same password.”
Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of High-Tech Bridge, warned users to monitor incoming emails, instant messages and phone calls for suspected phishing attempts potentially using the account information accessed by the hackers.
“If personal data was stolen, it can be leveraged in eye-catching spear-phishing attacks, password reuse and identity theft scam,” he explained.
James Romer, chief security architect at SecureAuth, claimed the incident highlights how a reliance on username/password combinations can leave organizations and their customers exposed.
“The transport industry seems to be increasingly under attack from cyber-criminals, who are looking to access the vast amount of highly valuable customer data — including passport details and payment information — held within these organizations,” he added.
“Bad actors can easily purchase stolen credentials on the dark web, which can then be used to attempt to gain access to a secure network. By utilizing advanced techniques such as automation, more accounts can be easily targeted, increasing their chances of success.”