How important it is to use trusted and verified systems when you want to rent an apartment, book a hotel, buy a plane ticket, or rent a car while traveling, it is equally important to monitor whether the data you provided to such systems has been misused in any way.
Attackers Breach Avis Rent a Car, Stealing Data of 300,000 People
This was highlighted by the case of Avis Rent a Car, which suffered a cyberattack resulting in the sensitive information of 300,000 individuals falling into the wrong hands. The data, stolen from one of the business applications used by this global giant, present in our region as well, includes: names and surnames of users, addresses, bank account details, payment card information, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers.
The company directly notified affected users whose data was stolen and offered them one year of free access to a service that monitors unauthorized transactions and potential misuse of personal information.
What should you use to protect yourself?
In this case, Avis Rent a Car offered a useful service, but there are other recommendations for increasing control over your data and finances:
- Credit monitoring services,
- Regular monitoring of your own bank statements,
- SMS notifications for incoming and outgoing transactions on your bank account,
- Two-factor authentication on all critical portals (banks, government agencies, systems for paying monthly bills).
(photo: pexels.com)
