The BBC is notifying current and former staff members regarding a data breach uncovered by its information security team. The UK media giant has reported the detection of a “data security incident” involving files containing information on BBC Pension Scheme members.
These files, obtained by an unidentified entity from a cloud storage service, contained details such as names, National Insurance numbers, addresses, and dates of birth.
The BBC has assured that no phone numbers, email addresses, usernames, passwords, bank accounts, or financial information have been compromised. Both the Pension Scheme website and member portal remain unaffected.
“It’s crucial to emphasize that our specialist analysis has found no signs of misuse of the affected files,” stated the BBC. Additionally, they confirmed that since the files were copies, the Scheme’s operations remain unaffected.
The Guardian has reported that over 25,000 current and former employees have been affected by this breach. The BBC clarified that there’s no evidence suggesting a ransomware attack; however, they haven’t disclosed further details about the incident.
This isn’t the BBC’s first encounter with a data breach. Last year, the company fell victim to the MOVEit hack, where cybercriminals exploited a zero-day vulnerability to pilfer data from numerous organizations.
