Nissan Data Breach Affects 100,000 Individuals

In a concerning turn of events, Nissan Oceania recently discovered a data breach that has affected approximately 100,000 individuals. The breach was the result of a ransomware attack carried out by a known cybercrime group in late 2023.

On December 5, 2023, Nissan detected an unauthorized intrusion into its systems. The carmaker promptly informed its customers about the disruptive cyber incident on the same day. The attack had significant repercussions for both Nissan Motor Corporation and Nissan Financial Services in Australia and New Zealand.

A few weeks later, the Akira ransomware group stepped forward, claiming responsibility for the breach. According to their claims, they managed to exfiltrate 100 GB of information from Nissan’s systems. This trove of data included corporate files as well as personal information of individuals associated with the company.

Despite the ransom demands, Nissan chose not to give in to the hackers’ pressure. As a result, the attackers published files allegedly stolen from Nissan’s internal systems. This move underscored the car manufacturer’s commitment to not negotiate with cybercriminals.

In a recent update, Nissan Oceania announced that it has begun reaching out to the individuals affected by the breach. The company conducted a thorough investigation with the assistance of government authorities and external cybersecurity experts.

The breach has implications for several groups:

Nissan Customers: Those who have interacted with Nissan directly.
Dealers: Individuals associated with Nissan dealerships.
Current and Former Employees: Both present and past staff members.
Other Brands: Customers of Mitsubishi, Renault, Skyline, Infiniti, LDV, and RAM branded finance businesses are also impacted.

The type of information compromised varies for each person. Here’s what we know:

Approximately 10% of individuals have had some form of government identification compromised. This includes:
Around 4,000 Medicare cards
Approximately 7,500 driver’s licenses
About 220 passports
Roughly 1,300 tax file numbers
The remaining 90% of affected individuals have had other forms of personal information impacted. This includes copies of loan-related transaction statements, employment records, and more.

Nissan is diligently working to validate contact details and remove any duplicate entries from the list. While the breach is undoubtedly concerning, the company’s commitment to transparency and timely communication is commendable.

Individuals impacted by this incident should remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard their personal information.

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