German software company Ashampoo has announced a serious security breach, where customer email addresses and names were stolen. The main danger of the details having been stolen is that email addresses could be used to distribute malware to customers of the company. As CNET reports, personal information and credit card numbers were not affected by the incident.
German law enforcement agencies are investigating the theft of customer details, though it may prove difficult to hunt down those responsible for the cyber-attack. Ashampoo have not yet revealed how many customers the incident could have an effect upon, though Chief Executive Rolf Hilchner posted a message on the company website which can be read here.
According to Ashampoo's post, the information may be used to send fictitious confirmations of orders to the email addresses of accounts found in the database. It may be worth checking if you have recently received any emails from Ashampoo confirming the purchase or order of any of their utility programs. Hichners' post apologises to all parties that have experienced issues, and also recommends anyone with doubts to contact the official company email address for support.
Ashampoo produces software for the Windows operating system, including Burning Studio, WinOptimizer, and their own anti-malware product. This recent loss of information to a group of hackers will doubtlessly damage Ashampoo's public image, or at least the company's perceived quality.
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