If you haven't heard by now, hackers breached the computer security of the Texas-based email marketing firm, Epsilon, and stole thousands of customer names and/or email addresses. Epsilon sends more than 40 billion emails a year for about 2,500 companies around the world. Chances are, you're a customer of one of these 2,500 companies and it's possible that your email or name has fallen into the hands of hackers. But what are the companies?
TOP 5: Ways to Protect Yourself Online
I spoke with media representative Jessican Simon, from Epsilon and inquired whether the company had an updated list of the affected companies. Simon explained that at the moment, the hack was under investigation and they were not providing those details. The company's own press notice about the event -- which is pretty thin -- says, "The affected clients are approximately 2 percent of total clients and are a subset of clients for which Epsilon provides email services." Simon also assured me that only names and/or emails were taken, no other data, such as credit card numbers or other financially sensitive information.
But again, how do you know if you should worry?
If your email did fall into the wrong hands, it may mean that you'll start getting more spam.
The Christian Science Monitor, Associated Press, AFP, and UPI, to name a few, are reporting that firm including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Capital One, Best Buy, Kroger, TiVo, RitzCarlton Rewards, Walgreen Co., Walt Disney Co.,Barclays Bank, U.S. Bancorp, Ethan Allen, Home Shopping Network, Target, Hilton and Marriott have been affected. But the list could be much longer.
5 Unexpected Threats of Social Networking
As a wary Internet user, you should know by now that you should never click on links inside email from familiar businesses or banks. In other words, if you receive an email from your bank saying that they need to update some information -- or perhaps it will say that their security system has been compromised and they need you to click on a link and change your password -- DON'T DO IT. Open a new tab in your brower, visit the home page of the company in question and change your settings there. My credit card company offers this advice:
Customers are reminded to ignore emails asking for confidential account or log-in information and remember that familiar looking links in an email can redirect to a fraudulent site. If you get an e-mail that claims to be from us but you aren't sure, or you think it's suspicious, don't click any of the links. Just send it to us at abuse@capitalone.com then delete it. More information on fraud prevention is available at www.capitalone.com/fraud/prevention/phishing.php.
Here's a little more information from ComputerWorld, about how to avoid a phishing scam.
Tags: Email, Internet, Internet Safety
comments ( )