A potential data breach has impacted Montreal-based car-sharing company Communauto after an employee attempted unauthorized access to customers’ personal data. The incident occurred overnight on Sept. 3 to 4, as revealed in a notification sent to affected customers on Monday.
According to Communauto, an investigation confirmed that an employee used an automated script without authorization to try and retrieve customer records. Police executed a search warrant at the employee’s residence the following day to seize their computer equipment in connection with the breach.
Although account passwords and payment details remained secure, personal information such as names, addresses, and driver’s license numbers were compromised. Additionally, any photographs of customers or their licenses attached to their profiles were also downloaded.
Marco Viviani, Communauto’s vice-president of strategic development, disclosed that the breach impacted approximately two percent of users across Canada, translating to “some thousand members.” The company is actively monitoring the situation for potential data exposure and has engaged a specialized consulting firm for this purpose.
Communauto advises affected individuals to stay vigilant against unsolicited communication, especially those soliciting personal information, urgent actions, or prompting clicks on links or attachments. Users are encouraged to enable multi-factor authentication and ensure the strength and uniqueness of their account passwords.
