McDonald’s was hit by a data breach and confirmed that hackers stole data from its systems, including employee contact information and customer emails, phone numbers and addresses.
The scope of this breach has yet to be confirmed, however McDonald’s has indicated that the number of stolen files was small, in a statement released from the company’s corporate headquarters. The Wall Street Journal states that the leaked data mainly relates to the location and size of different establishments.
The burger chain has said it had recently increased its investment in cybersecurity tools, and this investment helped them respond to the breach and cut off unauthorized access to data soon after it was detected, although the hackers had access for a week prior.
Commenting on the recent attack aimed at the restaurant sector is Anurag Kahol, CTO and co-founder of Bitglass.
Kahol tells Digital Journal that the attack was another one in the process of cyberattack being launched against major industries.
Kahol explains: “This data breach follows numerous recent large-scale cyberattacks, demonstrating how criminals have increased their level of sophistication when targeting large corporations. McDonalds is an example of an organization that has prioritized the safety of sensitive information, as its proactive security tools enabled them to recognize the attack early on and prevent further unauthorized access.”
While things were evidently securer at McDonalds, there was still a risk. According to Kahol: “However, the company confirmed that data was stolen during the attack, including customer emails, phone numbers and addresses, as well as employee contact details.”
This carries significance, says Kahol: “Exposure of this data is more than enough for hackers to launch highly targeted phishing attacks against those individuals impacted, underscoring the importance of securing all personal records.”
He adds that protection is essential, noting: “All enterprises must have advanced threat protection in place that can give them full visibility and control across their networks, cloud services and devices to detect potential intrusions and suspicious activity.”
By this Kahol means: “Robust, flexible and multifaceted cybersecurity platforms that prevent leakage, authenticate all users and monitor their behavior are essential for defending business operations and securing resources within.”
His final advice is: “Following cybersecurity best practices and implementing mandatory employee training can also help minimize additional attack vectors and enforce stricter security standards.”
