The Ticketmaster “breach”—what you need to know

Earlier this week, a cybercriminal group posted an alleged database up for sale online which, it says, contains customer and card details of 560 million Live Nation/Ticketmaster users.

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The data was offered for sale on one forum under the name “Shiny Hunters”. ShinyHunters is the online handle for a group of notorious cybercriminals associated with numerous data breaches, including the recent AT&T breach.

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The post says:

• “Live Nation / Ticketmaster
• Data includes
  • 560 million customer full details (name, address, email, phone)
  • `Ticket sales, event information, order details
  • CC detail – customer last 4 of card, expiration date
  • Customer fraud details
  • Much more
• Price is $500k USD. One time sale.”

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The same data set was offered for sale in an almost identical post on another forum by someone using the handle SpidermanData. This could be the same person or a member of the ShinyHunters group.

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According to news outlet ABC, the Australian Department of Home Affairs said it is aware of a cyber incident impacting Ticketmaster customers and is “working with Ticketmaster to understand the incident.”

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Some researchers expressed their doubts about the validity of the data set:

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While others judged it looks legitimate based on conversations with involved individuals, and studying samples of the data set:

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Whether or not the data is real remains to be seen. However, there’s no doubt that scammers will use this opportunity to make a quick profit.

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Ticketmaster users will need to be on their guard. Read our tips below for some helpful advice on what to do in the event of a data breach.

You can also check what personal information of yours has already been exposed online with our Digital Footprint portal. Just enter your email address (it’s best to submit the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan and we’ll give you a report.