Kathmandu has notified customers that it is investigating a serious security incident with its online trading website. The company suspects a data breach of customer data has occured and the outdoor clothing and equipment retailer is working to identify the cause and impact of the breach.
The New Zealand-based business has reported that an “unidentified third-party” gained unauthorised access to the Kathmandu website platform, sometime during the period of 8 January to 12 February.
During this period, Kathmandu has acknowledged that the third-party “may have” captured customer personal information and payment details entered at check-out.
“Whilst the independent forensic investigation is ongoing, we are notifying customers and relevant authorities as soon as practicable,” said Xavier Simonet, CEO of Kathmandu.
“As a company, Kathmandu takes the privacy of customer data extremely seriously and we unreservedly apologise to any customers who may have been impacted.”
In a statement issued via the NZX, Simonet said that upon becoming aware of this incident, the business took “immediate steps” to prevent a further breach, stating that the Kathmandu online store “is and remains secure”.
According to the statement, the wider IT environment including all Kathmandu physical stores were not impacted by the incident.
Since becoming aware of the suspected breach, Kathmandu has been working closely with external IT and cyber security consultants to fully investigate the circumstances of the incident and confirm which customers may have been impacted.
Since Mandatory Data Breach Notification Scheme came into place in 2018, close to 1000 Australian organisations have reported a data breach to the Privacy Commissioner.
“By 2021, it is estimated that over 5000 Australian businesses would have reported a data breach since the legislation was put in place.” said Ahmed Khanji, CEO of Gridware.
Furthermore, Kathmandu is notifying potentially affected customers directly, while advising any customer who believes they may have been impacted to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their recommended advice.
