Christie’s Auction House Alerts FBI and British Police About Cyberattack
The prestigious auction house Christie’s has revealed that it was the target of a cyberattack earlier this month, prompting the company to alert the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and British police. The attack compromised some personal data from clients’ identification documents, although financial data and recent sales activity were not exposed.
According to a statement from Christie’s spokeswoman Jessica Stanley, the compromised personal identity data came from identification documents such as passports and driving licenses that were provided for client ID checks. Fortunately, sensitive information like ID photographs, signatures, email addresses, and phone numbers were not taken.
The admission of the data breach comes after a group called RansomHub claimed responsibility for the cyberattack and threatened to release findings on nearly 500,000 clients of the auction house. Despite attempts to downplay the incident, Christie’s took proactive measures by notifying law enforcement authorities in both the UK and the US.
In response to the breach, Christie’s is offering complimentary identity theft protection and monitoring services to affected clients. The company is urging individuals to monitor their accounts for any unusual activity and reassured them that steps are being taken to address the situation.
Despite the cyberattack, Christie’s successfully conducted its marquee spring auctions, which generated sales worth $528 million. The auction house remains committed to safeguarding its clients’ information and ensuring the security of its online platforms.
