The IT community has come together to emphasize the urgent need for systematic security audits within businesses, following a major cybersecurity breach at myTV Super, a mobile app owned by TVB. A suspected cybercriminal was apprehended and charged with illicit access and theft of user data from over 30,000 app users.
The alarm bells began ringing on 18th May when TVB discovered unusual and potentially malicious activity within their system. These irregularities were quickly identified as intentional cyber-attacks, prompting an immediate internal investigation. TVB, in their official press release, revealed that approximately 35,000 users’ data was compromised during the security breach. This number represents a meager 0.3% of the total registered user base of the app.
The data accessed during the incident included registered users’ names, the first four digits of their Hong Kong ID numbers, email addresses, and in some instances, phone numbers. The specific data accessed varied based on user categories. TVB was quick to allay concerns regarding financial data stating that users’ credit card information was not accessed during the breach. At present, there is no concrete evidence to suggest misuse of the stolen personal data.
The company is maintaining its commitment to user privacy and data security. “We will persistently observe industry trends and enhance our security measures to protect the privacy and security of our users’ information,” TVB said in the statement. To address the immediate threat, TVB successfully blocked the intrusion and reported the incident to law enforcement and the relevant regulatory authority.
In an update on the situation, a 40-year-old man was arrested for the breach yesterday. TVB expressed its appreciation to the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) of the Hong Kong Police Force for its professional law enforcement efforts and the swift apprehension of the suspect, effectively mitigating the severity of the incident.
The occurrence of this incident underscores the critical importance of regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in a system before they can be exploited. IT professionals strongly urge companies to prioritize these audits to safeguard against cybercrimes, protect user data, and maintain trust with their customer base.
This news story is based on an article published on marketing-interactive.com.
