Hacker sells alleged stolen data from Acer Philippines

Acer, one of the most successful gadget manufacturing companies, has become the subject of another data breach incident that resulted in a data heist.

Based on reports, the impacted branch of this tech giant is from the Philippines. Moreover, the campaign affected its employees. The breach occurred through a third-party vendor handling attendance data, and an initial analysis showed that a hacker, identified as ‘ph1ns’, leaked the stolen data on a hacking forum.

However, unlike previous ransomware attacks, this breach primarily focused on data theft. In addition, the publisher of the stolen data clarified that there was no ransom demand and no encryption involved. On the other hand, the compromised company verified the authenticity of the data but explained that the attack had not occurred directly from their systems.

 

An Acer advisory claimed that the data breach incident has only impacted limited employee information.

 

According to an Acer representative on its advisory, they assured that the data breach incident had only compromised limited employee data, and their customer data remained safe. The company emphasised that its systems were secure and that it was cooperating with relevant authorities and cybersecurity experts to address the breach.

Furthermore, Acer Philippines included this in their public statement, reiterating customer data security and ensuring their systems remain intact. They have also promptly notified agencies like the NPC and the CICC to initiate an investigation.

Unfortunately, this issue is not the first time Acer has faced such threats. In the past, they suffered multiple breaches, including a ransomware attack in March 2021, where hackers demanded a $50 million ransom. Another breach in October 2021 exposed customer data from their India-based after-sales service, and in February 2023, hackers breached a server containing technical manuals and software tools.

These repeated security lapses in the company have raised concerns about its cybersecurity measures and reliance on third-party vendors. As technology becomes essential to daily life, ensuring the security of personal and corporate data should be the main priority of various organisations.

Lastly, like many companies, Acer must employ robust cybersecurity protocols to protect its infrastructure against future breaches and safeguard its customers’ and employees’ trust.