Retail loyalty programme apologises for customer data breach

The 1 Co, part of the Central Group, has apologised for a data breach affecting its loyalty programme members, saying an initial investigation found no flaws in its systems
The company said it was truly sorry for the incident and understood clients’ concern.
An initial investigation conducted by a data protection officer found no flaws in the company’s database and security system.
It said it was taking the issue seriously and had stepped up security measures. It will also cooperate with government and private organisations to further check its systems.
The company advised customers to block anyone who claimed to represent The 1 Co and to take careful consideration while making transactions that involve personal data.
As well, it asked clients not to share one-time passwords with others, open any suspicious links or reply to messages from unreliable sources.
Wetang Phuangsup, acting secretary-general of the Office of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), said earlier that it was investigating a breach that potentially affected the data of about 5 million customers of the country’s biggest department store and shopping mall operator.
The commission had already told The 1 Co to quickly and thoroughly examine its security system and report findings in seven days, he added.
There were reports that a hacker that accessed the data of 5 million customers had unsuccessfully demanded a ransom and was threatening to sell the stolen data.