Personal details of Citizen Watches customers in Singapore stolen in data breach; PDPC investigating
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 10 May 2024
Author: Ian Cheng
Citizen Watches said that it discovered the incident on April 25.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) is investigating a data breach in which the personal details of Citizen Watches customers here were stolen.
On April 30, some customers of Citizen Watches in Singapore received an e-mail notifying them of a breach that had occurred nearly a week earlier.
In that e-mail, the watchmaker told affected customers that their personal information, including name, contact details, e-mail address, password, date of birth, country/region, occupation and income range could have been compromised by the breach.
Citizen Watches added that it discovered the incident on April 25.
“We believe the breach occurred on or about April 24, 2024... and involved an unknown third party who had stolen personal data from our remote server,” the watchmaker said.
Citizen Watches said that it had taken steps to prevent “any potential harm” to its customers, and that it had identified the root cause of the data breach, without elaborating.
The watchmaker did not announce news of the breach on its social media platforms or its Singapore website.
In response to queries, a Citizen Watches spokesperson said that the watchmaker is currently investigating the incident, and that “all our members are being informed together with police and PDPC”.
The watchmaker did not respond to The Straits Times’ questions about the number of customers affected, or any demands made by those who stole the data.
Responding to queries, the PDPC confirmed that it was currently investigating the breach.
When contacted, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore said that it is aware of the incident, and has offered its assistance.
It also pointed to its advisory online on how to protect oneself and one’s organisation from data breaches.
Source: Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
1033