Dell has begun warning customers that their personal information may have been exposed in a massive Data leak which affects 49 million customers.
As reported by beepcomputerThe American computer maker recently began sending data breach notifications to affected customers explaining that an attacker managed to gain unauthorized access to an online portal containing customer information related to purchases on its site.
Fortunately for affected customers, it appears that only personal information was stolen during this attack and no financial information was accessed. According to Dell’s data breach notification, names, physical addresses along with hardware and order information were stolen from their systems.
Whether you or your company recently purchased a Dell laptop, desktop, or even accessories, here’s everything you need to know about this data breach along with some tips on how to stay safe after this attack.
Now on sale on the dark web
According to a separate report from daily dark webOn April 28, a threat actor calling himself Menelik online attempted to sell a Dell database on the hacking forum Breach Forums.
In his post, the hacker explained that they stole data from 49 million Dell customers who purchased systems from the company between 2017 and 2024. Although BleepingComputer and other outlets have yet to confirm whether this is the same data or not, it does match information. set forth in Dell’s data breach notification.
Of the 49 million Dell customers affected, 7 million are related to inpidual or personal purchases on the company’s site, while 11 million are from companies in the consumer segment and the rest are from companies, partners or schools that Menelik does not could identify. Likewise, most of the affected customers are from the US, China, India, Australia and Canada.
The original post on the hacking forum has since been deleted. This could indicate that another hacker purchased the stolen information database with the goal of using it in future attacks.
What to do after a data breach
Typically, after a data breach of this size, we recommend that affected customers check their bank statements and sign up for the the best protection against identity theft. However, since the financial information was not exposed, our advice on how to stay safe is a little different this time.
With your full name, physical address, and Dell purchase history in hand, whoever purchased this stolen database is more likely to try to start targeted phishing attacks against affected clients. These can come in the form of spoofed emails impersonating Dell in physical letters sent by mail.
Regardless of how you are contacted, a hacker would probably use a tech support scam or a unpaid invoice to attempt to trick you into providing them with financial information or credentials for one of your online accounts. That’s why affected Dell customers should remain vigilant when checking their inboxes or mailboxes for the foreseeable future.
At the same time, BleepingComputer notes that hackers may try to infect vulnerable PCs with malware by sending malicious flash drives to affected users. For this reason, you should never insert an unknown flash drive or other storage device into your computer. However, if you do so, you want to disconnect the computer from the Internet to prevent any malware from spreading across your network and you also want to have the the best antivirus software installed to detect any viruses that the drive may contain.
In an email to Jugo Mobile, a Dell spokesperson provided more information on the matter, saying:
“We recently identified an incident involving a Dell portal with access to a database containing limited types of customer information, including name, physical address, and certain Dell hardware and order information. It did not include financial or customer information. payment, email address, phone number or any other highly sensitive customer data.
“Upon discovering this incident, we quickly implemented our incident response procedures, applied containment measures, began investigating, and notified authorities. We also engaged a third-party forensic firm to investigate this incident. We continue to monitor the situation and take steps to protect “Our customers’ information. Although we do not believe there is a significant risk to our customers given the type of information involved, we are taking proactive steps to notify them as appropriate.”
We’ll likely hear more from Dell once the company finishes its investigation.
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