Faithless fans can’t get no sleep after hacker data theft

Faithless fans will likely be suffering from insomnia after the dance band's website was hacked, leaking 18,000 usernames and passwords.

The site's database of fans' details was sold on the dark web, according to security firm CyberInt, which discovered the hack, saying the thieves used SQL injection to compromise the band's website.

"We uncovered a Faithless database being sold on the Dark Web, and we flagged it up with them," vice president of marketing Elad Ben-Meir told The Independent.

"I think they fixed the issue but they didn't quite go out and tell anyone that, so that leaves their fans, about 18,000 people, unaware that their private information has been compromised."

The website of the electronica group best known for their 1995 hit Insomnia is not a particularly high-value target for fraudsters.

The danger, however, comes from cybercriminals using the email addresses in phishing campaigns, and fans re-using passwords over multiple accounts.

This case illustrates how important data protection has now become, according to cloud security firm Netskope's EMEA vice president, Eduard MeelHuysen.

"Businesses must be able to protect their customer data and safeguard their reputation," he said, "or in this digital age, they run the risk of becoming a huge target for those cyber criminals testing organisations' digital defences."

He warned that businesses must be ready for new data protection rules the EU will introduce in 2018, noting that "mandatory data breach reporting is firmly on the agenda."

"Ahead of the new regulations coming into force, businesses should move to ensure GDPR compliance now, taking steps to consider the regulation and what it means for their business as well as their data use and storage policies," he advised.

Image provided under Creative Commons, with credit to Christopher Lenz.

Adam Shepherd

Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.

Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.

You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.