Protecta Australia

Summary

Protecta Australia, a flooring and service protection provider, had a customer database containing information for 74,373 customers listed for sale on BreachForums on 6 September 2024. A threat actor using the name "agreindex" claimed to have exfiltrated the database in September 2024 and offered it for sale on the dark web.

What Happened

A threat actor breached Protecta Australia's systems and exfiltrated a customer database allegedly containing records for 74,373 customers. The attacker, operating under the name "agreindex," listed the database for sale on BreachForums on 6 September 2024. Rather than using ransomware or demanding payment from the company, the attacker chose to sell the stolen data directly to other criminals, a tactic that can be more profitable and harder to trace.

Impact on Individuals

The breach exposed customer contact information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and potentially physical addresses of over 74,000 customers. Affected individuals should:

• Be alert for increased spam emails and phone calls
• Watch for phishing attempts referencing Protecta or flooring/protection services
• Be cautious of scammers offering fake warranty extensions or service contracts
• Monitor for potential use of stolen information in targeted scam campaigns

The sale of the database on criminal forums means the data is likely to be used for various fraudulent purposes by multiple threat actors.

Organisational Response

Protecta Australia provides flooring protection and service protection products to Australian customers. When contacted by Cyber Daily on 9 September 2024, the company had not yet provided a public response to the breach claims. The incident highlights the risk of customer databases being sold on criminal forums, where they can be purchased and used by multiple malicious actors for scams, phishing, and other fraudulent activities.