Personal information of 1.5 million Indian women up for sale online after Zivame's data breach

Zivame, a renowned online lingerie retailer in India, is currently grappling with a substantial data breach. According to India Today, a staggering 1.5 million women may have fallen victim to this breach, with their personal information allegedly being made available for sale on the dark web and messaging app Telegram. 

Several customers compromised with privacy - which includes name, number, address and order details.@Zivame what’s your position of data breached ??? pic.twitter.com/J3adt0tGxv

— Preetyarthee (@prityarthi) May 18, 2023

What is in this data? 

The data of Indian women, according to India Today is on sale for $500 (Rs 41,000) in cryptocurrencies. This data includes:

• Name
• Email
• Phone number
• Physical address of customers

The Hacker

The report by India Today indicates that the group responsible for the recent data breach is allegedly the same one that had previously sold data from 7.1 million LinkedIn profiles and 1.21 million records from Rentomojo, a furniture renting start-up.

However, there hasn't been any official response from Zivame yet.

You can now check from a website called Have I Been Pwned to check if your data has been breached or not.

READ MORE: Online travel scams are booming. Here is how to stay safe while booking your next vacation

Here are some tips on how you can save yourself from a possible data breach: 

1. Use strong and unique passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for each online account. Incorporate a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If you're lazy and forget password easily like me consider using a reliable password manager to securely store your passwords.

2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, such as a code sent to your mobile device, in addition to your password.

3. Regular Software Updates: Keep your operating system, apps, and antivirus software up to date. Updates often include crucial security patches that address vulnerabilities.

4. Be Cautious with Personal Information: Avoid sharing sensitive personal information unnecessarily. Be wary of providing it over unsecured websites or to unknown individuals or organizations.

5. Phishing Awareness: Be cautious of phishing attempts, where attackers try to trick you into revealing personal information through deceptive emails, messages, or phone calls. Verify the legitimacy of requests before sharing any sensitive data.

6. Secure Wi-Fi Connections: Use encrypted Wi-Fi networks, especially when accessing or transmitting sensitive information. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for confidential activities, as it may not be secure.

7. Regularly Monitor Financial Accounts: Keep a close eye on your bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial statements for any suspicious activity. Report any unauthorized transactions immediately.

8. Data Encryption: Utilize encryption tools or services to protect your sensitive data. Encryption scrambles your information, making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access or decipher.

9. Backup Important Data: Regularly back up your important files and data to an external hard drive, cloud storage, or other secure backup solutions. This helps minimize the impact of data loss in case of a breach or system failure.