Epsilon email breach

[Bino]

Make sure to deploy your spam filters, kids.  A company called Epsilon, that runs email for a number of companies, has reportedly been hacked/breached:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040411-best-buy-beach.html

<voice, value=Riker>  All hands, brace for impact!  </voice>

[Bino]

More links:

http://www.securityweek.com/massive-breach-epsilon-compromises-customer-lists-major-brands

http://www.epsilon.com/News%20&%20Events/Press_Releases_2011//p1057-l3

[Wolfala]

I just got the following email from Chase.

Note: This is a service message with information related to your e-mail address.

   
        

   
Chase is letting our customers know that we have been informed by Epsilon, a vendor we use to send e-mails, that an unauthorized person outside Epsilon accessed files that included e-mail addresses of some Chase customers. We have a team at Epsilon investigating and we are confident that the information that was retrieved included some Chase customer e-mail addresses, but did not include any customer account or financial information. Based on everything we know, your accounts and confidential information remain secure. As always, we are advising our customers of everything we know as we know it, and will keep you informed on what impact, if any, this will have on you.

We apologize if this causes you any inconvenience. We want to remind you that Chase will never ask for your personal information or login credentials in an e-mail. As always, be cautious if you receive e-mails asking for your personal information and be on the lookout for unwanted spam. It is not Chase's practice to request personal information by e-mail.

As a reminder, we recommend that you:

Don't give your Chase OnlineSM User ID or password in e-mail.
Don't respond to e-mails that require you to enter personal information directly into the e-mail.
Don't respond to e-mails threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information.
Don't reply to e-mails asking you to send personal information.
Don't use your e-mail address as a login ID or password.
The security of your information is a critical priority to us and we strive to handle it carefully at all times. Please visit our Security Center at chase.com and click on "Fraud Information" under the "How to Report Fraud." It provides additional information on exercising caution when reading e-mails that appear to be sent by us.

Sincerely,

Patricia O. Baker

Senior Vice President

Chase Executive Office



If you want to contact Chase, please do not reply to this message, but instead go to Chase Online. For faster service, please enroll or log in to your account. Replies to this message will not be read or responded to.

Your personal information is protected by advanced technology. For more detailed security information, view our Online Privacy Notice. To request in writing: Chase Privacy Operations, P.O. Box 659752, San Antonio, TX 78265-9752.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC
© 2011 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

LCEPAEM0311

[curry1]

See Rule #4

[Blackwulf]

If it is just e-mail addresses, it shouldn't be too much of a problem if you use a decent spam filter I should think.  I already receive my share of e-mails telling me there is a problem with my WoW, and recently Rifts account, neither game I ever played, and of course, there seems to be a never-ending supply of Nigerian bankers wanting my help to smuggle millions out of the country!
The usual common sense rules about e-mail should suffice for those that get through the filter.  The security of a lot of forums is lousy, especially things like guildlaunch, so if you have ever posted to a game site, your address was compromised a long time ago.  Don't even get me started on Facebook!

Far worse was when the VA lost a laptop that had real personal information on it, that included my name, home address, dates of service, and social security number along with thousands of others!

[Pigslilspaz]

See Rule #4

[Shuffler]

It'll mean that a company that creates spam, epsilon, will now help other folks who create spam. Nothing more, nothing less.