Ticketmaster, the world’s leading online ticketing platform owned by Live Nation, has suffered a significant setback as a hacker group called ShinyHunters claims to have stolen personal information of approximately 560 million customers worldwide. The compromised data reportedly includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and partial credit card details.
The hackers are demanding a ransom of $500,000 to prevent the data from being sold on the dark web, a hidden part of the internet where illegal goods and services are exchanged.
Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist at the cybersecurity firm KnowBe4 Africa, expressed serious concern over the breach’s scale. “The full extent of the data accessed by the cybercriminals is still unknown. Given Ticketmaster’s status as a leading global online ticketing platform, anyone who has ever purchased a ticket from them should remain vigilant,” she advised.
This breach has been connected to attacks on Ticketmaster’s cloud provider, Snowflake, affecting at least six other companies, including the financial services giant Santander.
Collard recommended that customers closely monitor their credit card statements and change any reused passwords. She also suggested enabling multi-factor authentication to bolster account security.
“Be wary of fraudulent emails, messages, and phone calls,” she warned. “Cybercriminals may use the stolen information to trick victims into disclosing more personal details. Some scammers might exploit the anxiety caused by this breach to manipulate individuals into giving out additional information.”
Ticketmaster customers are urged to respond only to official communications from the company’s official websites, ticketmaster.co.za or ticketmaster.com, and to be cautious of unsolicited messages or emails demanding immediate action.
The breach’s implications are extensive, as Ticketmaster manages ticket sales for major global events, including upcoming concerts by Roxette, Andrea Bocelli, and the Rugby Championship Test between the Springboks and All Blacks in September.