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Cathay Pacific, one of the largest airlines in the world, announced that it has discovered unauthorized access to some of its information system containing passenger data of up to 9.4 million people. While this is not as big as last year’s Equifax breach, it represents a significant amount of people. The airline states that none of the stolen personal information has been misused, as of today. Additionally, Cathay Pacific stated that there is no impact on flight safety.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg stated, “We are in the process of contacting affected passengers, using multiple communications channels, and providing them with information on steps they can take to protect themselves. We have no evidence that any personal data has been misused. No-one’s travel or loyalty profile was accessed in full, and no passwords were compromised.”
The personal data that was stolen includes passenger name, nationality, date of birth, phone number, email, address, passport number, identity card number, frequent flyer program membership number, customer service remarks, and historical travel information. There were also 403 expired credit card numbers stolen. The amount of data stolen varies for each affected passenger.
Anyone who believes they may be affected can contact Cathay Pacific in the following ways:
- Via the dedicated website – infosecurity.cathaypacific.com – which provides information about the event and what to do next
- Via Cathay Pacific’s dedicated call center available after 12:30/25OCT (GMT+8) (toll free numbers are available on infosecurity.cathaypacific.com)
- Email Cathay Pacific at infosecurity@cathaypacific.com
Final Word
On one hand, it is great that Cathay Pacific was able to identify the breach. On the other hand, it is a shame that 9.4 million people have had their personal information compromised.
featured image courtesy of ccn.com
