Live Nation revealed in a regulatory filing on Friday that a hacker is allegedly offering user data primarily from Ticketmaster for sale on the dark web. The company, which owns Ticketmaster, identified “unauthorized activity” on May 20 and initiated an investigation with forensic experts. The data was put up for sale on May 27, according to the filing. Live Nation is collaborating with law enforcement and has begun notifying regulatory authorities and affected users about unauthorized access to personal information.
Impact and Response on Live Nation
Live Nation stated that the hack has not impacted its financial or business operations. The hacker group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for the breach, as reported by trade publications. Ticketmaster has not responded to multiple requests for comment, and the filing did not confirm the breach’s scale.
This potential hack compounds an already challenging year for Ticketmaster. Just last week, the US government and numerous states sued Live Nation, accusing Ticketmaster of abusing its market dominance to the detriment of fans nationwide.
Details of the Breach
ShinyHunters claims to have stolen the personal details of 560 million customers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and partial credit card details. The group is demanding a $500,000 (£400,000) ransom to prevent the data from being sold to other parties.
In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Live Nation confirmed that on May 27, “a criminal threat actor offered what it alleged to be Company user data for sale via the dark web.” The company is actively investigating the breach.
The number of affected customers has not been confirmed by Live Nation. The Australian government and the FBI have offered assistance in addressing the issue, with Australia’s National Office of Cyber Security collaborating with Ticketmaster to understand the incident.
Live Nation is working to “mitigate risk” to its customers and is notifying users about the unauthorized access to their personal information. The company stated that, as of the filing date, the incident is not expected to have a material impact on its overall business operations or financial condition.
History of ShinyHunters
The data breach was advertised on BreachForums, a newly relaunched dark web forum where hackers buy and sell stolen information. ShinyHunters has a history of high-profile data breaches, including a 2021 incident involving 70 million customers of US telecom firm AT&T and a breach affecting nearly 200,000 Pizza Hut customers in Australia last year.
Ticketmaster has faced security issues before. In 2020, the company admitted to hacking a competitor and agreed to pay a $10 million fine. In November, a cyber attack allegedly disrupted ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour. Earlier this month, US regulators sued Live Nation, accusing it of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry, leading to higher ticket prices and poorer service for customers.
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