Ticketmaster: Data breach has affected at least 500 Rhode Islanders
by: Sarah Guernelli
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Ticketmaster is warning millions of customers across the country, including hundreds in Rhode Island, that their data may have been compromised during a security breach last month.
In a letter sent to Rhode Island customers earlier this month, Ticketmaster estimated that the security breach has affected at least 500 residents.
The security breach happened between April 2 and May 18, according to the letter. Ticketmaster noted that it appears the hackers accessed a cloud database that contained customers’ information.
“We have not seen any additional unauthorized activity in the cloud database since we began our investigation,” the letter reads.
Ticketmaster said the compromised information includes customers’ names, basic contact information and payment methods, such as encrypted credit or debit card numbers and their expiration dates.
Kevin Ricci, a Providence-based cybersecurity expert, told 12 News it appears that the third-party vendor in charge of that database made “a pretty basic mistake” by not having two-factor authentication protections in place.
In response to the security breach, Ticketmaster is offering customers access to a free 12-month credit monitoring service.
Ricci also recommends customers update their Ticketmaster account passwords and to enable two-factor authentication themselves.
“[Customers] should also be vigilant and look for any anomalies in their banking accounts or emails,” he said.
12 News reached out to Ticketmaster regarding the security breach but has not yet heard back.