boAt’s Data Breach is a Wakeup Call for the Industry
APRIL 22, 2024 | QNu Labs
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boAt, an Indian electronics company, reportedly faced a major breach that affected more than 7 million of its customers. Media reports pointed out that personal details like names, email addresses, phone numbers, and even their residential addresses were exposed.
The data breach happened on April 5, 2024, by a hacker named ‘ShopifyGUY’ who claimed to have dumped more than 2GB of boAt customer data on the dark web.
The worrying aspect of the data breach was that the hacker was ready to sell it for as low as EUR 2 (Rs 180 approx) which made the data easily accessible to any bad actor. It might be possible to see the database available for free on other dark web and social media forums in the following days.
boAt is one of the top-selling brands in the affordable wearables segment, which catapulted the brand to the top of the global charts in the last few years. Such incidents get people worried, so it was imperative that boAt looked into the matter, came out with its findings, and shared them publicly.
boAt confirmed it was looking into the matter and had launched its investigation. However, it did not confirm if the breach occurred due to an internal issue, or through a misconfigured third-party database.
What do we learn from the breach?
No company, big or small, is spared from the inevitable–rush to dig into the data goldmine. India is one of the top countries affected by cybersecurity threats and data hacks. Larger corporations deal with several vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers. The valuable customer data might float around these third parties without adequate checks and balances in place.
In a disorganised data management system, the chances of security loopholes are high. Hackers are well-versed in identifying and attacking such security lapses. Unfortunately, boAt became a victim of such a lapse.
How does India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Bill protect its citizens?
The bill is drafted on seven key principles. Two of these principles are relevant to boAt’s case:
- Accountability: Breaches and violations should lead to penalties and accountability.
- Security Safeguards: Adequate security measures must be in place to protect data.
The penalties as per the bill are severe. Failure to implement security measures involves a penalty of Rs. 250 crores and breach of personal data involves a penalty of Rs. 200 crores.
If the result of boAt’s investigation confirms data compromise, the company might have to face the brunt of the authorities.
We need to watch how the story unfolds.
How can such mishaps be avoided?
The answer is simple: Quantum Cryptography.
Quantum cryptography is the most robust encryption technology available today. It shields data from quantum attacks–the most powerful method of data hacks in today’s times.
We don’t know how the attack was made in the case of boAt, but we are certain quantum cryptography could have averted the situation.
QNu Labs is a pioneer in quantum cryptography. QNu’s range of quantum-based products covers security from end-to-end across the entire data-based paraphernalia. From quantum-based encryptions to entropy enhancement services, QNu covers all security bases.
The immediate solution that can be implemented by enterprises like boAt is the QShield Platform. QShield is the world’s first unique quantum security platform that ensures seamless forward secrecy and crypto agility.
Quantum cryptography is the way forward for the changing landscape of encryption.
To know more, reach us for a demo.
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