Engie was the victim of a major hack, which damaged the personal data of more than 110,000 customers. The hacker said he reacted in response to the increase in the price of gas in France. The manufacturer said it had filed a complaint and corrected the security flaw that may have allowed this attack.
The major players in the French economy continue to be the target of hackers. After Pôle Emploi and its millions of subscribers who saw their personal data end up in the hands of a hacker, it is now Engie’s turn to have fallen into the trap of a certain “HommedeLombre”. As Numerama explains, the latter also used the same technique as the Pôle Emploi hacker, namely to infiltrate the network of an external service provider to gain access to Engie’s confidential documents.
On August 23, a database containing the personal data of around 110,000 of the company’s customers was published online. In the message that accompanies the publication, the pirate explains his gesture by a desire to “to show that nothing is ever sure, even the biggest targets”. Then, this one evokes a second reason : “a response to gas price inflation in France”.
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Engie victim of a hacktivist who leaks the data of 110,000 customers
The attack is therefore supposed to embarrass Engie rather than its customers, although it is ultimately the latter who pay the bill, despite a message of support from the hacktivist who concludes his post with “Strength to the hard workers, and to the French patriots! “. The latter also indicated that the addresses of the victims were not included in the database, for ethical reasons.
No bank details either, according to Engie, but rather names, email addresses and telephone numbers. “ENGIE is filing a complaint and, in accordance with its obligations under the GDPR, will collaborate as it systematically does with the competent authorities”, a spokesperson told Numerama. The persons concerned will all be contacted by the manufacturer, who adds that “the subject and scope of the information system in question has been brought under control”.
Source: Numerama