Hackers Claim Breach of ASOS Systems, Send Alert Through App

Customers of the online fashion retailer ASOS, including those in Israel, received a startling notification through the company's official app on Tuesday, claiming a breach of its systems. The message, unusually addressed to ASOS's Data Protection Officer and IT team, stated that attackers had gained access to the company's Snowflake cloud environment, a platform used for storing and processing large amounts of data. The hackers also threatened to publish information they claim to possess. However, there is currently no independent confirmation that ASOS's databases have actually been breached, nor is it clear what information, if any, the attackers hold or if customer data was stolen.

A key question surrounding the incident is how an unauthorized party managed to send a notification via ASOS's official app alert system. While the message's appearance doesn't validate all the attackers' claims, it suggests that at least the system or an account used for distributing user messages was compromised or exploited. The incident quickly drew attention in the financial markets, with ASOS's stock declining in London trading amid concerns about further system vulnerabilities and potential customer impact.

This event follows a previous security incident at ASOS in the summer, where unauthorized access affected approximately 138,000 customer accounts. It is important to note that there is no current evidence linking the previous breach to the recent notification or the current attackers' claims. In light of the incident, ASOS customers are advised to exercise increased vigilance, avoid clicking on suspicious links in SMS, email, or social media messages, and refrain from sharing passwords, credit card details, or one-time codes, as cyber events can be exploited by other criminals posing as the company.