Questions over the Dell data breach

There are questions that remain unanswered following the Dell data breach incident that took place last month.

It’s still not fully clear as to whether any data was taken. If it was, whose data was exposed, and how much of it was exposed? It has been suggested that all Dell customers ought to change their password just in case, and they should also remain vigilant. The data breach activity that was detected in November identified an attempt to steal customer information. All that’s known is that it’s possible some data was taken.

This was another high-profile data breach, and another where a reactive approach as opposed to a proactive approach appears to have been taken.

About the Dell data breach incident

The Dell data breach incident has been classed as an “unauthorised activity” event. The event took place last month, and it’s believed that the goal was to steal Dell customer information.

It’s not clear whether any customers of Dell have had their data stolen or exposed. The fact that there’s uncertainly means there’s likely a belief that the attackers managed to break, or had the capacity of breaking, through Dell’s defences.

Information targeted is believed to have been:

• Customer names;
• Customer email addresses;
• Customer passwords (hashed).

What’s being done about the Dell data breach incident?

As a result of the Dell data breach incident, customers are being urged to change their passwords. Dell has also commented to say that they will look to improve their cybersecurity as well.

The latter point suggests that their defences may not have been as robust as they should have been in the first place. That is a concern. Too many data controllers are reactive as opposed to proactive these days. People’s data cannot be allowed to be gambled with.

The company said:

“Though it is possible some of this information was removed from Dell’s network, our investigations found no conclusive evidence that any was extracted. Additionally, Dell cybersecurity measures are in place to limit the impact of any potential exposure. These include the hashing of our customers’ passwords and a mandatory Dell.com password reset.”

If it transpires that any customer data was exposed or stolen in the Dell data breach incident, victims will need to be informed. They may also be eligible to make a claim for data breach compensation. Either way, customers of Dell should remain vigilant and follow the advice given.

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