Over 52K American car wash customers exposed in data breach
Autobell, one of the largest car wash networks in the US, has succumbed to a hacker attack, exposing tens of thousands of people.
Bryan van der Beek via Getty Images.
Autobell, one of the largest car wash networks in the US, has succumbed to a hacker attack, exposing tens of thousands of people.
The car wash sent notification letters to impacted individuals. Autobell said the company experienced a “network security incident” on April 7th, 2024.
As many companies do under these circumstances, Autobell utilized a cybersecurity firm to help with the attacks’ investigation. More than five months later, at the end of September, the company discovered that attackers had roamed its systems for six days in early April.
According to information the company provided to the Maine Attorney General, over 52,000 individuals were exposed in the attack. Autobell was scarce on information about what details were exposed. The car wash indicated that names or other personal identifiers in combination with an undisclosed type of data was exposed.
However, a separate statement from the company clarified what type of information may have been revealed. It appears the company's customers and employees were victimized in the attack. Autobell claims that potentially impacted details include:
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- Full names
- Addresses
- Driver’s license numbers
- Passport numbers
- Social Security numbers
- Medical information
- Mealth insurance information
- Financial information
- Tax identification numbers
While it’s unclear if the two are related, the Medusa ransomware gang posted Autobell on its dark web blog in early May 2024. Ransomware cartels use blogs to showcase their latest victims in hopes that unwanted attention will assist extortion.
The attackers said they stole 183.3GB of data from the company, including customer information, user data, recorded calls, contracts, payrolls, and other information.
With over 80100 locations, Autobell is among the top 20 car wash chains in the US. The company describes itself as the largest family-owned car wash in the States. The company employs 3,000 staff and claims to wash five million cars annually.
Updated on October 24th [06:20 a.m. GMT] with additional details from Autobell's statement.